Stranded

Perspective : Emilia Verdora

"Where am I ?".

"Right ... the floor crumbled, and we fell below?".

"Where are the others?".

I opened my eyes, only to find myself alone again.

"Doesn't matter, I was in it alone to begin with".

"So, where are we exactly?".

I looked around, my vision was limited,

"Go figures ... This is below that dark cavern, It only makes sense ... that it's a lot darker".

I felt a sensation of heat emanating from my head, accompanied by a gentle pulsation. Instinctively, I extended my hands to investigate, nothing unexpected, I encountered a wet substance. The thought crossed my mind,

"Am I bleeding?"

The darkness veiled my hands from sight, yet as I cautiously rubbed my fingers together, a distinct lubrication confirmed my suspicion: I was indeed bleeding from my head.

"More importantly ... how did I survived?".

"Or am I the only one?".

"I have to find everyone else... Or ... I have to end myself to reset the loop again".

Even though it was dark, I felt the cold blade of my sword as I placed it near my neck, that sensation, nostalgic yet of pain, would never be something I would get used to.

"I hoped in this loop, It would finally workout".

*Sigh*

"Nevermind, Off we go".

"Do it quick and you won't feel a thing Emilia".

"Don't be afraid, you have done it many times before".

I took a deep breath.

"Hold your breath and slice it in one go".

"1".

"2"

"3".

"Here we go".

*Sigh*

"What are you doing girl?".

"Quick... end it".

"1".

"2".

"3".

As I braced myself, my blade prepared to strike.

However, It might had been me clinging to hollow hope, or for real it was a signal of some sort, a beacon that all wasn't lost.

I heard distant coughing noises, coming from the darkness forward.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves?".

"I am sure it's a null too".

"But just in case".

To my surprise, buried beneath some rubbles, was Sheela, still kicking and alive.

Seeing her made tears roll down my cheeks.

But life had given me a lot of hope before only to throw me into the abyss of torment again.

So, I wasn't going to give in to the hollow temptation of hope, this time around.

"It could be, that she is the only one".

"Lucky one to survive".

"Or maybe the others survive too".

(No)

(Don't hold any expectations Emilia).

(How many times has it been, that life gave you hope, only to kick you in the ringer).

"That's right, I am not going to hold any expectations".

Controlling my emotions was a singe, holding a stone in my heart I called out for Sheela,

"Sheela!... Sheela!"

I exclaimed, my voice laced with an icy determination.

"Sheela!... Wake up!"

With firm resolve, I shook her gently, yet persistently, until her eyes slowly fluttered open. In a hushed tone, she whispered,

"Emilia? Is that you?"

Meeting her gaze, I replied with a stoic demeanor, "Yes, it's me."

The darkness cloaked our surroundings, rendering us invisible to each other. Sheela, unable to see me, questioned,

"Where are you?"

In a voice devoid of any warmth, I curtly responded,

"I am right here."

"Please hold on a second, I will get you out of there,"

I assured her, though my tone remained cool.

Sheela's curiosity and concern for others surfaced as she inquired,

"Where are the others?"

Slightly taken aback, I replied,

"I don't know... you are the first one I found."

Anxiety seeped into her voice as she mentioned, "Thor Gild... did you find him?"

I hesitated for a moment before replying,

"No..."

(Indeed, Thor Gild was carrying Ron, wasn't he? She would naturally be concerned about his safety.)

Methodically, I began removing the rocks that pinned her fragile frame, one by one.

I unpinned sheela.

And we both, continued our search for everyone else.

Our search now hindered by darkness caused sheela to summon fire orbs to illuminate our surroundings.

As those tiny balls of fire rendered the place visible, I was shocked to witness a dis- similarity in this loop, something unfounded, It was clear that something unaccounted had caused this factor to appear.

"Was it something I did?".

"Or was it something coincidental that led to this outcome".

Nevertheless I was awe-struck in disbelief.

Up to this point everything I did, the way I interacted with everyone else had been scripted and predetermined, I knew the outcomes, I knew the true nature of this cave, and yet I had to stay quiet, to acquire my desired results.

"To free the god of distortion".

And yet, despite my resolution to not interfere, this unexpected and unprecedented outcome had appeared,

What did it meant?

Some factor other than me was influencing this reality.

Causing it to change so drastically.

"What could had that been?".

"As planned, I divided the group into two,

As planned, I didn't interfered in Keira's and Brandon's scuffle".

"So for the love of god, what changed?".

In that dimly lit room illuminated by small fire orbs scattered around us, the atmosphere was eerie, with a sense of uncertainty hanging in the air. The walls were covered with tangled roots twisting and snaking their way through every nook and cranny.

They clung tenaciously in the ceiling, floor and even the ants that probably had inhabited the room before.

The ants themselves appear trapped, their once vibrant movements reduced to feeble struggles. The roots that have invaded the room have ensnared them, binding them tightly like puppets on a string. Their bodies twitched with residual life, their movements synchronized by an unseen force. The room resonated with an oppressive energy, as though the roots themselves seep negativity into the space. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, were they dying?

I didn't knew.

I didn't even knew what I was looking at.

The once dark chambers, now desolated, and filled with a haunting silence, broken only by the occasional creaking of the roots as they continue to grow.

"What are those roots?".

"And why are those ant's clinging to them?".

A sense of disgust and awareness washed over me as I saw those ants, alive and mutilated by them roots.

Their once smooth exoskeleton now bared Intricate patterns of veins and fibres, reminiscents of those roots that have intertwined with their bodies.

These root like formations appeared to sprout from their exoskeleton, extending delicately like miniature branches.

Those roots seemed to provide some sort of support, almost resembling an exoskeleton of their own.

Sheela showed a profound sense of disgust towards them, saying,

"It's incredibly creepy how they uncontrollably twitch their limbs in that condition."

She continued,

"Now after all that we witnessed... I'm honestly not even surprised anymore."

Reflecting on the situation, Sheela added, "Perhaps I have developed a sense of detachment."

In response, I remarked,

"See those saps leaking from their bodies".

"Its better to leave them be".

It was incredibly awkward, I had never imagined in my wildest dreams to be stranded with Sheela.

Anybody else would have been fine.

But It had to be Sheela.

I don't know what she thinks of me. But in the past loops she was an unreasonable and unpredictable factor.

And till now I can't think what's on her mind. She is right beside Conrad on that regard.

"It's not like ... I have to talk to her".

"Remember your objective".

For a while, we wandered along those creepy dark rooms.

Searching for anyone.

Anyone who could have survived.

But we didn't found a single soul.

(Well that's that I suppose)

(Good, I wasn't expecting anything)

I reached out to Sheela while she was still in search of the others, saying,

"Sheela ... I am going to tell you something... that will probably seem insane to you".

In response, Sheela asked,

"What ....What are you talking about?".

I started,

"As It stands now... ".

However, my string of thought was abruptly interrupted by someone's inner monologue leaking out.

[Stupid... Stupid.... Stupid].

[Why am I such a push over... Acting recon for the

Ravens ].

[It's not like I had any choice]

[But despite that... I should have turned them down].

[Now what do, I do]

[Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit]

As Sheela heard the voice, she couldn't help but whisper,

"Shhhh... did you hear that?"

I responded,

"Yes, I did."

Sheela then pointed in the direction of the sound and exclaimed,

"I think it's coming from there."

It appeared we were not the only ones to survive, for the first time in many loops this feeling of hope. Wasn't turning out to be hollow.

But still, I was prepared for the worst.

As there was still a chance that this was our last survivor.

Cooped up in a the corner, hiding against some fallen boulders, It was Ikbal murmuring to himself.

As we approached him, he was as surprised as we were.

And yet Sheela appeared disappointed, as if she was expecting someone else.

Sheela asked Ikbal,

"What are you doing here?".

"Nevermind ... Did you, by chance get hold of anyone else".

Ikbal paused for a moment and replied, With a sense of relief, Ikbal said

"Thank god .... I thought, I was going to die here all alone".

"Un married... ".

"Thanks for coming".

Sheela, brushing off Ikbal's gratitude, replied,

"If you're done?"

She then asked,

"Are you all alone?"

Ikbal nodded and said,

"Yes, all by my lonesome".

Sheela quietly muttered to herself,

"Useless."

And with one more person now found, I was feeling a flicker of hope that everything would work out fine.

Yet, uncertainty clouded my judgement at each point.