Chapter Text

A dark night, just like the others.

Walking, running, it didn’t really matter anymore. Slowly shambling up this path, ready for what was to come, but still trying to convince myself. Tree by tree I keep going. These trees, this forest untouched by human hands, out of fear, out of superstition.

Looking around as they loom above me, smothering me with their darkness, I only feel safe. Safe in my choice that I’ve yet to make, safe from those left behind.

Step by step I wait for my choice to be made, but nothing happens. Doubt begins to creep upon me. Was it all a fool’s tale? Was it just another lie? Maybe there’s nothing special to this mountain. But what more can I do now than keep going. My path back was all but ignored and no one would want to come find me. Not here. Not even if anyone cared anymore.

Deep in thought I keep walking, still hoping this place would live up to its legend. Step by step, each one the same as the last, until finally, something new. Something that shouldn’t be here, not in a place like this. A pattern of flat, smooth stones below my feet. Kneeling down to see what I’d found. A path, a manmade path out here in these forgotten woods.

I guess I was naïve to think that this place would be any different, that this place could have survived the gaping claw of humanity and their insatiable hunger to conquer all that they come across. I’ve come all this way to escape from those that I left behind, but still I haven’t gone far enough. But this place, what is it? What purpose does it have so far away from everyone?

This path leads away, far into the unknown darkness, but should I follow it or find my own. Anything could be along it, but maybe I could find what I’m looking for. What’s it matter if I follow this path instead of another? Slowly taking the first steps I begin to walk the old human’s path, the sound of my footfalls give the woods around me an eerie shade.

For the first time in these dark woods, fear creeps upon me. Goosebumps crawl down my back; I try and fight to hold back a shiver. How long has passed since this path was left behind? And where did the creators end up. Are they still somewhere in these woods?

Continuing along the path trying to find any signs of current life, glancing quickly all around me, the darkness behind every tree containing a possible enemy. Step by careful step I continue along the path, ready for anything that might try to come. Fearful of what could be hiding behind me in the shade of the woods, I’d all but ignored the path ahead. Realizing this, I stop, glaring towards the end of this path. Darkness deeper than before, than the ones cowering under the trees, hiding from the starlight.

But no not just darkness, an opening, a cave entrance. Was this why this place is feared, did something happen here or was it just another forgotten ruin thrown away by the humans like so many others. Or perhaps this is where the creators of this place live. Hiding away in safety from the dark night.

Come too far now, might as well try and find out, maybe I can find what I’ve been looking for. Creeping up to the edge of the cavern, I peer into the entrance. Try as I might nothing can be seen. No light penetrates the darkness within. Stepping into the shade of the entrance, I let the darkness take control of me, hoping to see more as my eyes adjust.

Nothing holding me back, I leave the starlight behind me. Step by step I go deeper, wondering if the next will be the last. Nothingness is all that stretches all around me, but I still keep walking. Something must be here, hidden away by the darkness.

A few more steps and nothingness is all that’s below me as well. A chasm reaches down into the earth just ahead. One more clueless step and it would have all been over, wouldn’t that have been so much simpler.

I peer down wondering what this hole meant. What importance did it have for the humans to have built so much, so far away from everything? And why is this place feared now, does it have nothing to do with it? Seems unlikely that this would just be a coincidence.

“Heh,” what’s it matter now. This chasm’s history, I’ll never know it, it means nothing to me now. Its presence is all that I need, I’ve found what I needed. But will it be enough?

Kicking a small stone down into the abyss, waiting, longer and longer but no sound returns. Finally I’ve found it, the end of this path, the destination I have been looking for, for so long. One step and it’ll all be over. One step and this burden will be left behind.

I close my eyes, all that’s left is another step, same as the last, same as all the rest that’ve come before. One step and…

I open my eyes and see nothing around me, I feel the wind rushing by as I fall. Freedom, I am finally free from the past, finally free from them all.

The walls around me begin to close in. I must be near the bottom now. But as the end approaches, something primal begins to burn within me. What have I done? This was a mistake, why am I here. NO. NO I DON’T WANT TO Di-

Darkness. All that’s left is darkness. Did it work, is it over? No, I still feel it. It hasn’t gone away. I must still be alive.

It was all pointless, I’ll never be free. But this is new. Something’s different, something’s wrong.

“UgggghhhhhhhaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH,” I can’t stop screaming. My eyes burst open and I look down to my body.

Red, so much red. Blood, my blood. No this wasn’t supposed to happen. Nothing was supposed to be left for me after. What went wrong, I know I fell far enough. Looking down seeing my blood pool below me, flowers, so many flowers. None I had seen before, but they were dense, more than should be possible for a natural flower bed. Blue, red, purple, more shades than I had ever seen and many were unknown to me. Drops of blood cover the petals of the ones nearest to me, at least the ones that I hadn’t crushed when I landed, more are pulled down as the pool grows and passes by their stems.

I have to move. I don’t have long; I’m losing too much blood. But how can I move with my legs like this. I’ll have to crawl, but to where. Where am I? Looking around for the first time and I notice that I’m surrounded by light. This shouldn’t be possible, where’s it coming from, darkness is all that’s above. But this light, it seems to permeate the area.

It doesn’t matter, I need to stay focused, but my mind keeps slipping. I need to find a way out, I need to find help. Looking around the light is rimmed by darkness, but how deep, how far does it go. To my side a door sits just outside the ring of abnormal light. No other options appear, the door must be the only escape, my only chance.

I try to grab for the ground to move myself toward it, but my vision begins to grow foggy. The pain just too intense and my mind fading, I only make it an inch or two. Eyes locked on my only escape I slide myself a few more inches, my blood helping to grease the way. I have to keep moving, but my strength is faltering.

My hands covered in blood start to slip on the flowers and vines as I try to pull myself forward. Too much, I’ve lost too much. I can’t keep my eyes open.

Staring towards the doorway as my last hopes of finding help fades, a faint movement shines in the darkness, something small. It freezes, as still as a statue. Did it ever move? Was my starved mind just playing tricks on me to keep up hope?

It doesn’t really matter anymore, even if someone found me now, it’s too late. I’ve lost too much. I struggle to move my body, a pointless last action in this pointless life. But nothing happens. I can’t move my body. I try to open my eyes. But nothing happens.

Darkness begins to spread to the last edges of my mind. Even my thoughts have become sluggish. As my last remaining moments begin to pass by slowly, soft footfalls echo around the cavern.

Looks like the statue decided to come watch me die. Closer and closer the footsteps approach, stepping from the stone floor to the flower bed. A cry breaks out and reverberates around us.

Can’t it let me die in peace; guess my statue doesn’t like blood. It jumps to my side, its hands covering me. Trying to help or trying to finish things, doesn’t really matter. Darkness is all that’s left to me now.

Too deep now into the abyss to resist, I welcome it. Floating, embracing the emptiness around me, my pain gone.

In the distance a warmth flickers to life. This was something new, the dim light blinds me. I try to look away, but everywhere I turn it remains ahead. Maybe this is a glimpse to the next world, ready to consume me when I pass.

Reaching for it, the flame flickers brighter, but still farther than I can grasp. A match in ocean of darkness, but it’s so bright, it’s so warm. The flame expands again; the light cast from it burns my eyes, my body. But I can’t escape it, I can only try to reach out and extinguish it. I stretch out towards it, desperate to rid myself of it, but I still can’t reach it.

It begins to flicker; will it finally go out and leave me be? Reaching out again farther and farther to smother it, it continues to flicker. Just ahead of me now, the flame as bright and warm as the sun with the darkness surrounding it. I clasp my hands around it in hopes to finally be rid of it, but the light remains, brighter than ever.

Within my palms the flickering ends and the flame starts to expand. Getting larger and larger, the warmth of it almost becoming too much. The light spreads throughout my mind like wildfire, but not just my mind, my body as well. The warmth becoming more intense until it’s all that I can feel. Not just warmth, but the flame itself. Its burning heat sears throughout every inch of my body. All that’s left to me now is this warmth, a pain, yet somehow different.

But as quickly as it began the flames are extinguished. Returning me to the darkness. So much more intense without the fire. My body tingling with the sudden lack of feeling and my mind ringing with it so quickly being emptied. With it gone the feeling slowly starts to return.

I tense, waiting for the pain from my broken body, but it never comes. Only an ache is left in its place. A soft noise comes from above me, but what is it? What’s going on? Why am I back?

Opening my eyes, I’m blinded once again. Fearful that the flame had returned I blink, but as they open again they start to adjust to the light.

Kneeling beside me the statue watches me, it’s speaking. “Oh! You’ve fallen down, haven’t you… Are you okay? Here get up.”

It expects me to stand with my body like this? Can’t it see my legs, can’t it see the blood?

It begins pulling me up trying to get me to stand, but again I tense, waiting for the pain of my broken body to wash over me, but it never comes.

It continues unfaltered and somehow my legs, my feet are below me to keep me standing.

“What’s your name?” The statue asks.

“Chara” I whisper out almost choking on my words.

“Chara, huh?” it says, “That’s a nice name.”

My eyes finally adjusted to the strange light of the cavern I look over to the statue as it says.

“My name is Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr.”