Hunched broken and wild

(With the familiarity of memories, it called to me, and when it did I took hold of it, bringing myself closer.)

Feet and trousers soaking something cold in, its chilling and fluent form pressing against the flesh of my lower half. My eyelids are heavy, where am I? Oh yes, I'm here again, laying halfway submerged in the cold water stream, by that very riverbank from before. The white sky and the ghastly fog's back seem like I made it back to the core issue. Okay, first of all, I need to make a plan to find the core behind this, I find Deustarmer and end it, but before that, I'll need to get out of this ungodly cold river and find a safe house where I can plan my next steps out.

*!!!!!* Those ear-piercing screams again, where from? Shit, I got to move, safe-house find a safe-house I cannot deal with this right now. Legs are heavy, vision is just a blur but I know where I am if only I could get back to the apartment in time.

*!!!!!!!!* There it is, what was that? I've never seen such a thing before, naked, torso and legs of a man, arms bent behind the back ending in a conjoined steel boulder, and its head, ugh, from the nape of the neck it swirled, a thick grey eel with human teeth prayed open in a perpetual scream. *!!!!!* Had the thing spotted me? I cannot tell since its head movements are so erratic, okay I will just sneak up to the top of the riverbank then I'll make a break for some of the houses on the street *!!!!!*, oh great another one, more will probably show up so here goes nothing.

The lactic acid is spreading through my legs and veins, my breath shortens and every time I swallow air my chest stings like I had inhaled smoke from burning coals, my sight is fading and my muscles scream in agony, this terrible ache yet the beasts are still following, more have joined now, three perhaps five? Oh no, no more fading, why are the houses so far away? Why? Why? Why?! *!!!!CRUNCH!!!!* The taste of blood and gravel sharpens my senses, no I cannot let it end, their erratically twitching and screaming heads are so close that I can smell their putrid and vile bowels, sweetly rotten like a dead flower-field. "NO GET OFF!" the metal slabs on their hands were about to fall ending me and then they were all pushed away, what they were burning? What's this tingly sensation? Did I do this? *ark* What's that name? Ruber Ha? Wha... The flames, reducing the five bodies to ash, it returns to my side, no doubt about it, it is indeed a sudo-physical manifestation of spiritual energy, somethings changed I can feel it.

In the distance it could be heard, the rise of a hundred screams of vile, putrid, and accursed creatures, would it go dark soon again? Would the kingdom of the night swallow me again I wonder? Would I eventually find myself trapped in another abyss? Another labyrinth? Well well, at least I have this fleeting flame at my side, oh such unrivaled beauty, such fiery... This form, this shape it took, it was calming, reassuring, "Be sure to not leave my side ok? Let us get through this... Together" No words I just knew it understood.

A shadow is quickly moving across the horizon yet again painting this white canvas black, would those creatures, hunched, broken, and wild try to swarm me again? I wonder, how many could I take out and would it even matter in the slightest, the light from this familiar lights up the hollow and empty street in front of me, my left leg is aching, it really got me didn't it? Flesh thorn in shreds and my dark blood seeping out on the street under my feet, every move hurts, why am I even here? To create a safe world you dumb-ass don't question your own conviction. Well, I guess that's all true. The house-entering my sight could be described with words such as expensive and grand for neighborhood standards but that does not matter in the slightest, what matters is whether or not the house had what I need to survive.

The door swings open revealing a long hallway with many doors, where's the bathroom? Here? Here? Here? Here! Grandiose, wooden cabinets, golden glazed bathtub, and med-kit! The kit's small but it should have enough. The disinfectant burns my nerve ends and my synapses scream towards the fire, the needle pierces the flesh, and each time a thread glides I get assaulted by the shock signals, burning my other senses away, done, I reach for the bandages, why are they so far away? Where? Why is the bathroom so dark?

How much time had passed since then? I woke and my bandages were done, my familiar kneeling down at my side, and by its side, that shade again, "Ruber?" if that crimson shade had possessed a mouth it would have been grinning devilishly from ear to ear.

"You are getting quite close now I see, you will soon be able to get out and achieve your salvation. Now get up and search for a tower to climb, through it, you will find the road leading to the truth and the core, will you handle the salvation of truth? Will you get stronger to achieve your goal because of it? Or will it perhaps break you? Oh, Chrys you bring me such pleasing entertainment, Guess my full name, guess my purpose, and stare the truth in the white of the eye" What is this truth he keeps referring to? I guess I had known for some time, this shade staining the walls of my memories hid something crucial something I might need to know, did it have something to do with that picture?

"I guess I'll see you in time Ruber"

"I'm looking forward to it Chrys"

As he faded I got up on my legs, they're not in good shape but they will carry me to where I need to be, wait, what is this? Why am I suddenly here again?