Cold. Incredibly cold. It was not air, but something heavier, something that remembered "him" before "he" remembered "himself".
"He" felt as though the cold should remain forever, as if warmth should never be with "his" skin.
Was there anything greater than staying in the void? As "he" drowns more in this abyssal darkness, whether it is the right choice or the best choice to let "himself" sink, it seemed best to drown.
"He" sinks deeper, and deeper. "His" body lost its weight, becoming more free. Sinking deeper into the darkness, becoming more weightless, and more drawn into the void like a friend that holds "his" hands, something he had loved all "his" life.
Deeper. Deeper.
Sinking deeper, and deeper into this loving abyss.
Yet, amidst the calming black waters, something tries to intrude, a bright light, a painful light. "He" opens "his" eyelids, and sees the hands of this "friend" reaching towards that light.
But the light does not reach back. It pierces through the black waters, and a bright hand reaches towards "Him", black waters protected "him", but the light shines even brighter and brighter.
Until it has covered the entire plains of black waters with its bright light. "He" slowly reaches the light, and then a voice echoed through the deep black waters.
"Are you sure you want to face the world outside?"
"He" opened "his" lips, but stopped mid way. "He" lays down, and let the black waters sink "him" again...
"He" stopped, and instead tries to swim back up with all of "his" strength. The tides getting stronger yet calmer, it wished to keep "him" forever.
Yet, "He" refuses to become nothing, and be nothing. "He" wants to feel, "He" wants to know, and "He" wants to touch the light, even if it punishes "him" forever.
"He" reached for the light, and
"he" saw a dark place with barely any light. "His" vision is covered with this black liquid.
"His" heart pounded with great speed, "he" can't breathe.
"He" kicks and punches the glass repeatedly with "his" strength. The glass shatters into a thousand fragments, and black liquid poured down, and "he" fell from the floor and "his" body slammed into the ceiling.
Black liquid rained around "him" like spilled night.
"He" coughed black liquid onto the stone.
Sounds of bone cracking, joints dislocating, and muscles tore from within, piercing "his" skin, dark blood spewing out of "his" wounds.
An unknown sharp feeling spread through "his" body. Something that makes "him" feel different senses, it could only be described as pain.
"What is this feeling?" He said aloud.
A voice in "his" head slowly spoke with a tone.
[Crimson Pain]:
What you're experiencing right now is something called "pain". It is natural that you would feel it immediately after you choose to exist.
The answer did not comfort "him".
"His" mind was empty, yet loud. Perhaps it is the consequences of "his" actions, "he" glanced around "his" surroundings. Black stone walls carved with symbols, ruined pillars, and a destroyed stone gate.
"He" tried to stand up but "his" body was shattering in every movement, every movement made "him" feel the sensation of pain.
The same voice rumbled in "his" head again.
[Crimson Pain]:
Of course you will experience pain, you're fucking injured, your body is tearing itself from the inside.
Another voice seemed to intrude, a different tone, a much hungrier tone.
[Violet Hunger]:
You should know that "he" doesn't understand anything to the point that "he" can accept drowning in nothingness without even experiencing something.
[Crimson Pain]:
Indeed. Currently he is like a wild animal with barely enough brain cells to feel pain.
Inside "his" body, an otherworldly sensation wraps the inside of "his" skin, a feeling of something crawling inside "his" body, and that is both soothing and uncomfortable.
"His" bones rattled towards their original spot, "his" flesh crawling beneath inside "his" skin, until "his" body has recovered to a somewhat usable body.
Healing felt less like repair, and more like being rearranged.
"He" stood up, "he" looked around "his" surroundings again, and "he" saw a fleshless corpse, only bones remained.
The bones of this lifeless corpse have similar colors as "his" bones, perhaps they are the same bones, or even the same animals as "him".
This lifeless corpse wore a torn black robe, barely enough to call a robe. "He" walked towards the lifeless corpse...
"He" tumbled toward the corpse.
[Crimson Pain]:
Are you perhaps doing this on purpose? or do you have a weird kink about falling and breaking your bones? Just because you can heal doesn't mean you can always break it.
"He" stood up again. Face to face with a dead corpse. "He" sat down, and touched the dead bones. It was slightly warm. Something had left this body only recently.
[Crimson Pain]:
If you keep learning through injury, you'll become a genius soon enough.
The remaining heat slowly seeped into the pores of "his" skin.
A calming voice echoed in "his" head.
[Azure Reason]:
You've taken interest in this corpse. Is there something you've taken liking to? I mean it's natural, but too early, you don't even know what life is?
"He" touched the robe, gripped it tightly, then pulled hard, as if trying to forcefully take it from the corpse.
The robe tore out of the dead corpse.
"He" stood up, and wrapped the piece of cloth around "his" body. The cloth absorbed the black liquid making it dry.
The cloth clung to "him" as though it had been waiting.
"He" stood up, and looked around the place, then "he" took a glance of an unlit shattered lantern in the distance, "he" walked towards it in deliberate steps.
Though broken, it cast a shadow.
As if "he" was drawn to it, as if it held "his" gaze. "He" checked, it was also warm, but it was warmer than the dead corpse.
It feels as if "He" was burning yet no fire.
"His" gaze couldn't escape it. "He" reached out "his" hands, and grabbed the broken lantern.
It was warm, incredibly warm, as if the light "he" saw was part of it.
"This feels warm... And strange." He said without thinking.
"I should try keeping this."
"He" did not know why, but "he" did not want to leave it behind.
"He" grabbed one of the torn part of robe then ripped it off, then "he" tied looped this torn out cloth in the lantern then tie a knot connecting to the remaining robe.
For the first time since waking, the cold retreated.
[Violet Hunger]:
Warm corpse. Warm lantern. Warm light. Is that your taste? I find it funny, and weird.
"He" removed "his" gaze from the lantern, and turned towards the inverted ruined stone gate. "He" walked toward it and inspected it.
[Azure Reason]:
Reasonable enough. Start investigating, this wretched place it's the only way for you to know what you're doing.
[Violet Hunger]:
You're getting more aware every second, but you're still far from being normal. This empty place is damn useless, try escaping it instead.
[Azure Reason]:
Are you dumb? How is he gonna escape if he doesn't even know to move properly?
[Violet Hunger]:
Oh, I forgot about that your brain is smaller than a nut. Yeah, keep getting hungry for information instead.
"He" rubbed "his" hands along its surface, dust forming in "his" hands. "He" wiped it off, and turned "his" head towards a hallway.
Darkness filled the hall, but the light refused to belong to it.
[Azure Reason]:
We have reached a conclusion: we know nothing. Disturbing, but expected.
A faint light at the end of the hallway rubs against his vision, a very attractive light.
Another voice intrudes "his" mind, this tone was sharp and powerful.
[Gold Purpose]:
A light... A bright one as well. Chase it. Keep moving forward, you must catch it. Stop standing there, and walk. We are delaying our actions, we might not get the chance to follow it more.
"He" brushes "his" head, and then glanced at the end of the hallway. "His" pupils fixed on the bright light.
[Gold Purpose]:
Move! More delay means you are hesitating to chase it. It is better to die than become nothing. So move now!
Something inside "him" stood at attention.
"He" runs towards that light, messy footsteps yet with purpose to follow that white glow. Each step, echoing inside the inverted cathedral.
"I will reach it, I will touch it, I will become light." He said loudly, "his" voice cracking.
Each step getting closer to the bright burning light. Its warmth slowly intensifies, but "he" must keep going.
"He" reached "his" hand out to the light.
"He" touched it, it was bright. So bright, it was burning, but it was beautiful.
"He" opened "his" eyelids, "he" saw stairs, not just one stairway. But hundreds of stairs that seemed to stretch endlessly from down to up.
Piles of skeleton bones scattered along the stairs. The same bones as the corpse below.
Some of the skeletons were facing downward.
Some were climbing toward him.
Every step above looked earned. Every bone below looked warned.
"He" put "his" feet onto the stairs, and preparing to climb the steps.
A fearful voice rose in "his" head.
[Indigo Doubt]:
Are you sure? Like look at the stairs they're filled with skeletons, these stairs are probably a death trap. We should just stay here, and pray that we can live here forever.
"He" hesitated and stopped, reflecting on the stone stairs beneath "his" feet.
[Gold Purpose]:
No. Keep moving, it's the only thing you can do. These corpses are dead because they hesitated, you don't wanna become like them. Keep moving.
[Gold Purpose]:
If there is a path, walk it. If there is no path, make one.
"He" frowns, and looked ahead.
Then said with a rebellious voice.
"Fine, come on. Let's keep going."
"He" stepped into another step, and another. With a persistence in "his" body, and purpose in "his" mind.
[Azure Reason]:
This place has changed since the last time.
"His" body changing itself, as if it's evolving past its border limit, but then "he" slides down "his" footing became loose.
Even gravity seemed uncertain in this place.
"He" falls to the center, but "he" managed to save himself. "He" glances downward, a void. It is tempting, it is calming, and beautiful.
Above him, the light waited, it dragged his mind toward it. It was the more beautiful one. It is both terrible and beautiful. It is scary, it is something that "he" wishes to never reach.
"He" hated it. "He" wanted it.
It could shine forever, as though it should shine endlessly. As light sought every corner, whether welcomed or not.