Chapter 23: Distorted Fate (3)

Those who stare into the darkness long enough would go mad.

Those who feel enough pain would become numb.

Those who feel enough hunger would become hollow.

And those who never rest…die.

Suzu gradually opened her eyes, the dimly lit cavern coming into view a moment later. She sat curled up in a ball, her knees pressed against her chest. The dark circles under her eyes were evident as she looked around blankly.

'Oh…I'm still here…'

Running her tongue over her dry lips, she swallowed the mucus building in the back of her throat.

The extreme anxiety and stress from earlier had caused her to feel exhausted, which led her to rest in some random corner surrounded by boulders. Although unlikely, she had a vague hope of waking up to find everything normal again, but of course, reality was often cruel.

'I should just sit here and die… No one's coming for little 'ol me anyways…'

She blinked heavily, feeling slightly lightheaded.

Suzu had just about given up on ever escaping, resigning herself to the darkness of the labyrinth. She believed there was nothing she could do, and wasn't too keen on meeting a monster of this hellish floor.

None of the conclusions she'd drawn up had led to anything substantial, or rather, only more despair. So far, she had only one of three options; Starve to death, Die of dehydration, or…Be killed by a monster.

The prospect of ending her own life hadn't even come to mind, feeling an exceptional aversion towards that kind of topic.

'I can stay here…but I'm thirsty…and hungry…'

Her stomach growled as she wet the dryness in her throat with saliva. She didn't know how long she'd been down here, but it had to at least have been nearly a day or so. This was the first time she hadn't willingly missed a meal.

Thinking back to the comfort of her warm bed sheets and pillows, the sumptuous meals she ate until full, or the soothing sensation of a nice bath, her mood worsened even more.

'I want…to get out of here, I want to…go home…'

Anywhere was better than here, but the first thing that came to mind was the solace of her own home. The place she'd lived for years, she wanted to see her parents again, the places she'd visited—she wanted to live.

Wiping the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, her voice sounded, cracking with emotion.

"I don't want to die…"

Suzu declared from the bottom of her heart.

She didn't want to perish in an unknown floor of a labyrinth, helpless and afraid. She couldn't accept such an outcome, that was how she truly felt. Her previous resignation was brought on by despair, but pushing past that, she held nought but a single wish.

A desire, a kindling flame, one that steadily grew with each passing second.

'I…I don't want to die…ever.'

Clenching her small fists, she steadied her gaze.

It was either do or die, and she refused to meet her death—not now, not ever.

She grabbed the pointy razor-edged stone she'd been sharpening all this time, groaning painfully as she pulled herself out from the cover of the boulders.

What she required was an adequate source of food and drink, but she only possessed knowledge of one. The river she'd first woken up in was her current goal, deciding to start from there and work her way up to the former.

Though it seemed difficult, or even quite possibly life threatening, Suzu was all out of options. She wasn't capable of much, but this was her final stand. The bitterness lurking in her heart drove her to deny the inevitable out of sheer spite.

'You practically doomed me to die….But what if I don't….'

Just the possibility alone, the opportunity to contradict her fate, gave her the strength to stand again. It was often said that fortune favored the bold, however, at present, she wasn't bold, but teetering on the edge of utter lunacy.

The cold, lonely passageway ahead seemed daunting, yet she nevertheless traveled down its dark path, clutching the sharp stone in her grasp. It'd be a lie if she said she wasn't still terrified of what awaited her, but that fear wasn't enough to stop her at this juncture.

At Least…that's what she believed.

*GRRRRR…..*

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, the sound of low growling reached her ears. The first sound she'd heard since arriving on this floor that hadn't been produced by her own actions. She knew exactly what it was, and that knowledge left her nearly drenched in cold sweat.

There existed one creature, a single entity that made that kind of noise.

A Monster.

Suzu stiffened up, her heart instantly began drumming within her chest. Like a bad oiled machine, she slowly turned her head, just enough to catch a glimpse of the creature casually advancing toward her out of the corners of her eyes.

A ferocious white furred wolf with two thick tails sprouting out of its rear. Disgusting red veins that pulsed like a heartbeat trailed down its body, making for a nauseating sight.

A Twin-Tailed Wolf, one that had actually found her.

'No way, this isn't happening…this can't be…'

Her breathing became ragged, coming out in short gasps. Despair ate away at her mind, she was unable to cope with the current situation. Even after resolving to overcome whatever difficulties lay ahead, she was still petrified in the face of a real monster.

That flimsy determination was meaningless.

The primal terror she currently felt had made her realize one very simple fact—She Was Nothing.

Suzu slowly backed away, her legs trembled as desperation etched its way onto her face. This wasn't something she could contend against, that much could be felt just from its presence alone.

The Twin-Tailed wolf's glowing red eyes glared at her. She could've sworn its gaze conveyed a mocking glint. It walked with leisure steps, snarling viciously as it clearly toyed with its prey. The monster had already recognized that Suzu posed no threat whatsoever, thus taking its time to revel in her despair.

Soon after, two more Twin-Tailed Wolves appeared from the darkness, following close behind the first one. Saliva dripped from their hideous mouths, revealing their wicked sharp fangs.

The situation had gone from bad to worse.

They seemed to enjoy backing her into a corner, watching as her shivering frame attempted to retreat. She had just barely managed to keep herself from succumbing to terror, though even that likely wouldn't last much longer.

This was far from how she envisioned her actions thus far would lead to, though it might've been as she had expected in the back of her mind—Inevitable.

At this moment, one of the Twin-Tailed Wolves suddenly made its move, releasing a feral growl as it lunged at her, baring its claws savagely. The bloodthirsty look in its eyes plainly expressed its intent; this game of cat and mouse was over.

Suzu's mind went blank. Raising a single arm, she functioned on pure instinct.

"U-undying Holy Light — Sacred Shields!"

Upon finishing her spell, a wide circular barrier of light manifested in an ostentatious flash, followed by multiple layers of the same kind, lining up perfectly in front of her.

However, due to the chant being shortened, the spell's strength was also reduced as a result. And those weakened shields allowed the Twin-Tailed Wolf to tear through them like paper, producing a sound akin to glass shattering.

Still, even if they had been fully powered, they wouldn't have given the wolf any trouble; she was far too weak.

*GRRRRAAAAH!!*

Swiping its deadly sharp claws in a horizontal slash, it made to rip her to shreds, but surprisingly, only air had met its lethal attack. The confused Twin-Tailed Wolf steadied itself on the ground as it gazed up, only to see Suzu's panic-stricken figure running away at full speed.

She wasn't foolish enough to stand in the same place after finishing her spell, knowing full well how weak she was in comparison. It was better to gain as much distance as possible before thinking up any countermeasures she could use to ensure her survival.

Adrenaline, alongside the looming threat of death, had pushed her to break past her physical limits, running at a speed unthinkable to those with the same stats. The cold wind brushed against her, causing the sweat that formed on her forehead to slide off immediately.

Air filled her lungs, sprinting with all her might. She could no longer feel her legs, constantly repeating the same action without any further thought. The only thing at the forefront of her mind was a miniscule hope of moving just a little bit faster.

Yet, even then, she could still hear the tapping of wolf paws colliding with the ground, quickly gaining on her. It was likely that they'd catch her within a few more seconds; that was the stark contrast in their strength.

Trepidation festered in her heart, causing her to make a grave mistake, one she might even never come back from.

She…turned her head to look back.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the Twin-Tailed Wolf lunging at her within mere inches away. Its jaws opened wide, allowing her to see its pitch black gums and razor-sharp teeth.

"HAH!"

*GRRRAAOOOHH!!*

Suzu arched her back, jumping off her toes as she managed to get away just in time before it could kill her. Still, the wolf bit into her shirt at that moment, tearing off a piece of the fabric as it missed by a hair's breadth.

However, she tripped, gliding a few inches above the ground, her single working arm outstretched. Her eyes widened, taking in what had just occurred with a blank mind, before—

*FAH!*

She hit the ground with a heavy thud, bouncing a couple times as she ultimately tumbled into a wall at the far end. Scrapes and bruises trailed down her arms and legs, while an occasional few bleeding cuts could be seen as well.

Suzu lay sprawled across the ground, her mouth completely agape, but no screams rang out. Due to the pain, plus having the air knocked out of her, she was left in a complete state of shock, unable to even express her current trauma through sound.

And yet—

'G-get up, get up, get up…! I have to get up!'

She struggled fiercely, her spasming body twitching as she barely managed to pull herself into a crawl. The adrenaline kept her from feeling the fractured bones in her left leg, and the worsening of her already broken arm that was twisting unnaturally in the opposite direction.

Through blurry vision, Suzu could see the Twin-Tailed Wolves gradually slowing their momentum, already assured that she was trapped for good. Their assumption proved to be correct, as she sat with her back against the wall, hastily scooting herself to the side in the hopes of finding a way out.

It would take a miracle on par with the one that saved her from falling to her death, or…A frightening coincidence.

Just then, her hand bent inwardly, coming in contact with a small opening in the wall that was barely wide enough to fit someone a little less than her size. Her pupils shrank, her pulse quickened, a powerful sensation spread throughout her chest.

A miracle.

But before she could focus on that, the Twin-Tailed Wolves had appeared in front of her, seemingly growling in a mixture of fury and contempt. Suzu had only lasted as long as she did because they hadn't taken her seriously from the start. She was but hapless prey struggling in futility.

Suzu breathed harshly, feeling a crippling fatigue wash over her. Yet, she wasn't finished, it wasn't over, she couldn't die. Her whole body was trembling, barely managing to keep herself upright, but the crisis was almost over.

She…refused to perish.

'I-I won't die…You Son Of A Bitch, I won't die…!'

________________________________________

Authors Words:

DoNt YoU DaRe CliCk AwaY

Uh…d-did I say this was the last of her POV? I'm sorry, I meant the NEXT one was the last one.

Ehe~

Anyways, drop a few power stones, I need your strength.

I need energy.

Lend me your pOwEr

XOXO