Chapter 2: Dark Descent

 Chapter 2: Dark Descent

 He ran in city streets. It was dark now. Lights on street came on. City was still busy. Cars drove. People walked. And no one saw him run fast. Good. Because he did not want to scare people more.The pull was more strong now. And it took him more downtown. To very tall buildings. Tall buildings. He did not go to this part of downtown at night. It felt different here. More strong. More power. But maybe it was just his bad system talking.He went past stores. Past food places. Past work places. Everything was closed now. Or closing soon. Not many people now. Streets were empty more. Tall buildings were big over him. And they covered sky. It felt a little sad.He kept running. He used the pull. It turned him to a side street. And then to other street. He was lost now. He did not know this downtown part. It was more quiet here. More dark. Old buildings here. Not new and bright.The pull took him to a small street. It was dark and small. Trash cans were on walls. It smelled bad here. He stopped. Should he go there? Feeling not good. Not sure feeling. Maybe bad idea to go there.But the pull was very strong now. And it felt like it was there. In small street. He had to go in. He breathed in deep. He walked in small street.It was more dark in small street. Tall buildings made it more dark. Not much light from street lights here. Shadows were big. He could hear rats. Water was falling. Bad place.He walked more. The small street turned. It was like a walk game. He used the pull. It took him more and more in.Then, he saw light. At end of small street. Not blue light. This light was green light. Soft green light. It moved a little. It came from under a door. Metal door. At end of small street.The pull was most strong now. At door. This was it. What "it" was. He walked to door. He looked at it. Just metal door. Not bright. No words. Just door. And green light under it.He touched door. Cold metal. He tried to open it. Locked. Strong lock. He pushed. He pulled. No move. Locked hard.The green words came.[System Says: Break Door. Use Strength Power (Bad Power). Maybe Too Much Power. Door Maybe Break Too Much. No Matter. Get Inside Now.]Door break too much? No matter? Okay then. He used strength again. Like before. But no slow now. Just power. Break door now. Open door now.He moved back a little. He moved his leg up. He kicked door. Hard kick.BOOM!Sound was loud in small street. Metal door broke in. It came off wall. It flew in small street. It hit wall. And it made a hole in wall. Very strong kick. Bad glitch power.He looked at door place. No door now. Just hole. And green light. More bright now. It moved faster. It came from inside. He walked in door place.He was in a room. Small room. Walls of stone. No windows. Just one light on top. It was green light. It moved a little. That was the green light from door.Room was empty. Just one thing. In middle of room. On floor. Circle of light. Green light. Like paint. But light. It moved with light on top.He walked to circle. It was big like him. Maybe more big. Green light was soft. Not strong. It felt warm. Strange warm. For green light.He looked at circle. What was it? Glitch place? Goddess light? Feeling not tell him more now. Just circle. Good circle. Go to circle.He walked in circle. Nothing happened. He waited. Still nothing. Just green light. Warm light. He felt a little move. Like little shock. But not strong.Was this it? Just green circle? Was his bad feeling wrong? Or maybe something should happen?He looked at room again. Still empty. Just stone walls. Green light on top. And green circle on floor. And wait.On wall. Behind circle. Something was there. Words were there. Soft words. On stone wall. Hard to see in green light. He walked to wall. He looked at words.They were words. English words. But strange words. Old words? He tried to read words. Hard to see. Soft and small.He looked hard. He moved close. He used finger to feel words. To feel words on wall. Maybe that help him read words.He felt first word. It looked like… "VESSEL". Vessel? What vessel?He felt next word. "AWAITING". Awaiting? Vessel waiting for… what?He felt third word. "DESCENT". Descent? Vessel waiting for descent… Descent of what?He felt last word. It was long word. More small words. Hard to read more. But he could read some letters. "…GODDESS…" Goddess? Vessel waiting for goddess to come?Vessel Waiting Descent Goddess. What did it mean? Was it about goddess from system? Was circle… vessel? Vessel for goddess to come in?It was very strange. For bad system and powers. Goddess? Coming in? In green circle? In small street? It sounded like old stories. Not real life. But powers were not real life too. Until today.He looked at green circle again. Vessel. Waiting. Descent. Goddess. Words in his head. He felt pull again. More strong now. From circle. It was pulling him… down. In circle.He stopped. Come in? Like go down? In floor? In circle? Was circle door? To where? Goddess place? System bad place? He did not know. Feeling just said go.He looked at words on wall again. Vessel Waiting Descent Goddess. It felt bad. But also good. Like he should do this. Like it was job. Even if job was bad.He breathed in again. What to do? No place info from system. Just bad feeling. And pull to green circle in bad small street. And words about goddess.Okay. He would do it. He would go in. In vessel. What that meant. He walked all in green circle. He waited. Again.This time, something happened. Green light was more bright. Very bright. It moved faster. Warm feeling was more strong. Not little shock now. It was power. Going up his legs. In his body.He felt light. Like he could fly. Room was moving. Green light was all he saw. He could not see walls now. Just green. Bright green. More bright.He closed his eyes. Too much light. He felt power go in. It was changing him. He felt different. More different now. Not just strong. Something else. He did not know what.He felt like he was falling. Down way. In floor. In circle. Come in. In vessel. Waiting goddess come in. Or like that. Bad system, remember? Nothing sure to make sense.He kept falling. Green light all around. Power in him. He felt good? Scared? Not sure? All of them. And maybe a little good feeling? Good feeling that it was not all bad. Good feeling that he would not fall forever. Good feeling that maybe he find answers. Or fix bad system.Chapter 2 - Part 2: Dark Descent (Simplified)Then, green light stopped. Fast stop. Just gone. Dark now. All dark. He was still falling. But in dark now. He could not see. Just black.He waited for hit. Falling in dark. Not good. He got ready. For hit. For pain. For what was down there.But no hit came. He stopped falling. Just stopped. Was he flying now? In dark? He could not tell. He could not feel ground. Or anything. Just dark. And no sound. Just his breath.He opened eyes. Still dark. All dark. He moved his hands in front of face. He could not see them. Dark. Dark. Dark."Hello?" he said. He talked soft. His voice came back a little. In dark place? Where was he? What place was this? Goddess Vessel place under ground? System bad place under ground?"Is anyone there?" he said again. More loud now.No sound. Just his voice back. And dark. No goddess talk. No goddess light. Just him. Alone. In dark. With bad system and bad feeling. And maybe goddess far away. Maybe.He breathed out loud. This was more hard than he thought. Hero job. System bad. Goddess strange. Dark place. It was all very hard. And very strange.But he was here now. In vessel place. He had to do something. He could not just stand here in dark and wait for… what? System stop working all way? Goddess come again? Or just more dark.He needed light. Or something. Anything. To see place. To know what to do next. Bad feeling, help now. Please.He closed eyes again. He thought about pull. The feeling. He tried to feel way to go. In dark place. Way up? Way down? Way front? Way back? Way left? Way right? Any way.And he felt something. Not strong pull now. More like soft push. Soft push way front. Way front? Was that way front? In dark place, way hard to know way. But maybe way front. Little way front.Okay. Way front it is. Bad feeling, show way. Even if way was more dark. He had to try something.He started to walk. Way front. In dark place. He could not see. He just felt way. Hand out in front. Walk slow. Careful walk. In dark. Use soft push feeling. To go way front. To not know place.But he was moving. He was doing thing. He was not just stand in dark. That was good. Maybe. He had to keep going. Keep walk. Keep use feeling. Keep hope for light. Any light. Even green light. Or maybe goddess light? If that was real thing. He did not know what to think now. System Bad. Anything could happen.He walked on. In dark place. He walked more. It was very dark. He could not see anything. He put his hand out. He walked slowly. He did not want to fall. He did not know what was on floor.The air was cold. It was more cold than before. It was like ice. It went into his clothes. He shivered. He wanted to stop. He wanted to go back. But he could not go back. He had to go front. The feeling said go front.He heard sound. Soft sound. Far away sound. What sound was it? He stopped walk. He listened. Sound was like water. Water moving. Water falling? In dark place? Was there water here?He walked more. He walked to sound. Sound was more loud now. It was water. Water falling. Like water fall. But soft water fall. Not loud water fall.Then he saw light. Far away light. Small light. But light. Not dark now. Light was white light. Soft white light. It came from front. From where water sound came.He walked to light. He walked to water sound. Light was more big now. It was not small now. It was light for room. Big room? Was he in big room now?He walked out of dark place. He was in big room. Room was stone. Like before. But big room. Very big room. He looked up. He could not see top of room. Very tall room. Like cave.Light came from water. Water was fall from top of room. Water fell on stones. Water made light. Light was white from water. Water was like light. Strange water. Light water.Water fell in pool. Pool was on floor. Big pool. Water in pool was white too. White light water. Pool was like mirror. It showed light up. Room was light from water.He walked around pool. Room was big circle. Pool was in middle. Water fall was over pool. Walls were stone. Walls were dark. No light on walls. Just light from water in middle.He saw door in wall. One door. Big door. Stone door. Dark door. No light on door. Door was on side of room. Not front. Not back. Side door.Should he go to door? Was that way to go? Feeling not say go door. Feeling say stay pool. Stay with water light. But door was there. Doors are for going in.He walked to door. Door was stone. Cold stone. No handle. No way to open door. Just stone door. In stone wall.He touched door. Cold stone. He pushed door. No move. Stone door. Very heavy door. He pushed more hard. Still no move. Door was stuck.The green words came.[System Says: Door Locked. Strong Lock. Use Power To Open. But Be Slow. Door Maybe Break Too Much. Not Good. Try Slow Power. Open Door Slow.]Door locked again? Like metal door. But this door stone. Stone break more hard than metal? System say slow power. Try slow power again. Like car door. Okay. Try slow power.He moved hand on door. He put hand on stone. Cold stone. He thought about slow power. Like before. Like car metal. But more slow now. Stone more hard.He felt power come. Slow power. Soft power. It went to his hand. He pushed on stone door. Slow push. Soft push.Stone moved. A little move. Door was heavy. But slow power work. Door moved a little. He pushed more slow. Door moved more. Slow power was good for stone door.He pushed slow. He pushed more slow. Door moved more and more. Door was open now. Not all way. But open space. Space to go in.He stopped push. He looked at door space. Dark in door space. No light in door space. Just dark again. More dark? Dark more dark than before?He breathed in. Go in door space? Dark again. He just came from dark. Not want more dark. Want light. Water light was good. But door space dark.But maybe way front was door space. Feeling not say stay pool. Feeling just say go way front. Maybe way front was door space. Dark door space.Okay. Go in door space again. What bad could happen more? Just dark. And maybe more bad things. But maybe good things too. Maybe way to fix glitch was in door space. Or goddess was in door space. Maybe.He walked in door space. He walked in dark again. Dark was all around again. No light now. Just dark. And cold. More cold again. And no sound. No water sound now. Just dark and cold and quiet.He walked in door space. Door space was way. Way was down way. Down slope. He was walk down now. Down more in ground. More down in dark.Way was turn way again. Turn left way. Then turn right way. Like walk game again. Dark walk game. He used hand on wall now. Wall was cold stone. Cold stone wall way.Way was down more and more. More down slope now. Very down slope. He was walk down deep now. Deep in ground. Deep in dark. Deep in cold.Then way was flat way again. Not down slope now. Flat way. But still dark. Still cold. Still quiet. Dark cold quiet way.He walked more flat way. Way was long way. Long dark way. He walked long time. Time lost meaning again. Just walk in dark. Just walk in cold. Just walk in quiet.Then he saw light. Far away light again. Like before. In dark place. Light was small light again. But light again. Not dark all way now. Light was red light. Soft red light.He walked to light again. He walked to red light. Red light was more big now. Not small now. It was light for way. Way was more big now. Way was room now. Not just way. Room way.He walked out of dark way. He was in red light room. Room was stone again. Like before. But red light room now. Red light was all around room. Room was red from light.Light came from walls. Walls were red light. Walls were like fire. But not fire heat. Just fire light. Cold fire light walls. Strange red walls. Red light room.Room was big room. Not like water room. More small room. But room. Red light room. Walls were red light. Floor was stone. Floor was dark. No light on floor. Just red light walls.Room was round room. Circle room. Like water room. But red light room. And in middle of room. Something was there again. Like water room. Thing in middle of room.He walked to middle of room. He looked at thing. Thing was not pool now. Not water now. Thing was… fire? Fire on floor? But red fire. Cold red fire. Not hot fire.Fire was circle again. Circle of fire. Red fire circle. Fire was on floor. But not burn floor. Fire just stay in circle. Red light fire circle.He looked at fire. Cold red fire. Strange fire. Not like real fire. Magic fire? Goddess fire? System bad fire? He did not know. Just red fire circle. In red light room. In dark place under ground.He walked around fire circle. Room was circle. Fire was circle. Walls were red light. Floor was dark stone. No doors now. No way out now? Just red light walls. And red fire circle. And dark stone floor. And him. Alone again.He looked at fire circle. What to do with fire circle? Go in fire circle again? Like green circle? But red fire not green light. Red fire look bad. Maybe burn? Even if cold fire. Fire still fire.He did not want to go in fire circle. But feeling was there again. Pull feeling again. From fire circle. Pulling him to fire circle. Go in fire circle again. Like green circle. Go in fire circle now.He stopped. Go in fire? Bad idea? Maybe very bad idea? But feeling was strong. Pull was strong. And system not say no. System not say words now. System was quiet now. Maybe system more bad now. Or maybe system just wait.He breathed in again. What to do? No system help now. Just feeling pull. To red fire circle. In red light room. In dark place under ground. And fire look bad. But feeling strong.Okay. Go in fire circle again. Do it again. What bad could happen more? Just fire. And dark. And bad system. And maybe goddess still far away. But maybe goddess in fire circle? Maybe fire circle was way to goddess? Or way to fix glitch? Maybe.He walked to fire circle. He walked to red fire. Fire was red light. But look like fire. Move like fire. But cold. He put hand out. To fire. To red light fire. To see if burn.Hand went in fire. Red light went on hand. Hand was red light now. But no burn. No heat. Cold fire. Strange fire. Magic fire.He moved hand in fire. Fire moved on hand. Like water move. Red light water. Cold red light water fire. Not burn hand. Just cold light.Okay. Not burn. Cold fire. Go in fire circle then. Go in fire circle now. Do it now. No more wait. Go in fire circle now.He walked in fire circle. He walked in red fire. Fire went all around him. Red light was all around him. He was in red fire circle. In red light room. In dark place under ground. In fire. But not burn.He waited. In fire circle. Red light all around. What happen now? Wait again? Like green circle? Wait for more light? More power? More fall down? What next?He waited. In red fire. In red light. In dark place. And wait. And wait.Then, floor moved. Stone floor moved down. Fire circle moved down with floor. He was going down again. Floor was like lift. Lift down way. In fire circle. In red light. In dark place. Down again.He was going down more. More deep down. More dark down. Red light was still all around. But more dark now too. Dark around red light. Red light not all way now. Red light just circle now. Circle around him.He was going down more. More and more down. Down deep again. Deep more than before. Deep deep down. In ground more deep. Dark more dark. Cold more cold. Quiet more quiet.Then, red light stop. Fast stop again. Like green light stop. Red light just gone now. All dark again. Like before. But more dark now. More deep dark. Deep dark down.He was still moving. Still going down. No stop now. Floor keep going down. But no red light now. Just dark. Fall in dark again. But floor now. Floor moving down.He waited for stop. For floor stop move. For hit ground again. For next place. For next light. For next thing to do. In dark deep down place.Floor stop move. He stop move too. Stop fall. Stop down. Just stop. In dark again. All dark again. Deep dark down place.He waited. For light. For sound. For something. Anything. Not just dark and quiet.Then, sound came. Soft sound again. Not water sound now. New sound. Low sound. Deep sound. Like… heart beat? Heart beat sound? In dark place? Was place alive?Sound was slow. Slow heart beat sound. Deep slow heart beat sound. Boom… boom… boom… In dark quiet place. Heart beat sound. Strange sound. Scary sound.He waited more. Sound keep come. Boom… boom… boom… Slow heart beat sound. In dark deep down place. He was alone. Just him and heart beat sound. And dark. And cold. And quiet. And bad system. And maybe goddess far away.He breathed out again. What now? More dark? More wait? More strange things? Hero job very hard. Very strange. Very dark. Very deep down.He needed light. He needed help. He needed to fix glitch. He needed to not be scared. But he was scared. Very scared now. Deep dark down place scary. Heart beat sound scary. Alone scary. All of it scary.But he was here now. More deep down now. He had to keep going. He had to find way front again. He had to find light again. He had to do something. Not just stand in dark and scared.He closed eyes again. He tried to feel way. Way front again. In dark place. With heart beat sound. Way front from heart beat? Was heart beat way front? Or just sound?He felt something. Soft push again. Way front again. Way front was… to heart beat? Go to heart beat sound? Was heart beat way front?Okay. Way front to heart beat. Try that way. No other way to go. Just dark and heart beat. And maybe way front to heart beat. Try now.He started to walk. Way front to heart beat. In dark place. With heart beat sound. Boom… boom… boom… He walked slow. Careful walk again. In dark again. Use soft push feeling again. To go way front to heart beat. To not know place again.But he was moving again. He was doing thing again. He was not just stand in dark and scared again. That was good. Maybe. He had to keep walk again. Keep use feeling again. Keep hope for light again. Any light again. Even red light. Or maybe water light again? Or maybe goddess light now? If goddess was real thing. He did not know what to think now. System More Bad. Anything could happen more.He walked on. In dark place. To heart beat sound. Boom… boom… boom… He walked more. Heart beat sound more loud now. More close now. Way front to heart beat was way to go? Maybe.He walked more. Heart beat sound very loud now. Very close now. Like heart beat in room now. Not far away now. Heart beat all around now. Boom… boom… boom… Room was heart beat now. Dark room heart beat.Then, light came. Very fast light. Not small light now. Big light now. All light now. Not red light. Not green light. Not water light. New light now. White light again. Strong white light. Like sky flash light. Very bright light. All light room.He stopped walk. He put hand up to eyes. Too much light. Light hurt eyes. Light was all around. He could see room now. Light room. White light room. After dark dark dark. White light too much now.Room was big room again. Like water room. But white light room now. White light all around. Walls were white light. Floor was white light. Top was white light. All white light. Too much white light.In middle of room. Thing was there again. Like before. But new thing now. Not water pool. Not fire circle. New thing now. Thing was… light ball? Ball of light? White light ball? In white light room?Ball was in air. Not on floor. Ball was float in air. White light ball float in air. Ball was big ball. Big like him. Maybe more big. White light ball float in air in white light room.He looked at light ball. White light ball. What was it? Light thing? Goddess thing? System thing? Glitch thing? He did not know. Just light ball. White light ball. In white light room. In dark deep down place.He waited. For words. For system words. For goddess talk. For something. To tell him what to do now. With white light ball. In white light room. In dark deep down place.The green words came. Very small words now. Very soft words now. Hard to read words now. System very bad now?[System… Dying…? …Goddess… …Near…? …Light…? …Fix…? …Help…?]System dying? System stop work now? Goddess near? Light? Fix what? Help who? System words not make sense now. System very bad now. Maybe stop work all way now.He looked at light ball again. White light ball. Goddess near? Was goddess in light ball? Was light ball goddess? Was light ball help? Or fix? Or what?He did not know. System not help now. Just bad words. Goddess not talk now. Just light ball. White light ball. In white light room. In dark deep down place. And him. Alone again. But with light ball now.He breathed out again. What to do now? No system. No goddess. Just light ball. And feeling pull again. From light ball. Pulling him to light ball. Go to light ball now. Touch light ball now.Okay. Go to light ball again. Do it again. What bad could happen more more? Just light ball. And dark. And no system. And maybe no goddess now too. But maybe light ball was help. Maybe light ball was fix. Maybe light ball was way front. Maybe.He walked to light ball. He walked to white light. Light was strong. But not burn eyes now. Eyes used to light now. White light was warm light. Good warm light. After dark cold cold. Warm light good now.He walked to light ball. He was close to light ball now. Very close to light ball now. Light ball was big. Big over him now. White light all around now. Light ball was like sun. But soft sun. Warm soft white sun.He put hand out. To light ball. To white light sun. To see what happen. Touch light ball now. Do it now. No more wait more. Touch light ball now.Hand went in light ball. White light went on hand again. Hand was white light now. Like fire before. But white fire now. White light fire. Warm white light fire. Not burn hand. Just warm light.He moved hand in light ball. Light moved on hand. Like water move again. White light water fire. Warm white light water fire. Not burn hand. Just warm light. And… power?He felt power. In light ball. In white light. Power was strong. Very strong. More strong than before power. Power was good power. Clean power. Not glitch power. Good power. Maybe fix power?He felt pull more strong now. From light ball. Pulling him all way in light ball. Go all way in light ball now. Be in light ball now. Take power from light ball now. Fix system with light ball power now. Maybe.Okay. Go all way in light ball again. Do it all way now. No more wait more more. Go all way in light ball now now.He walked all way in light ball. He walked all way in white light. Light went all around all of him. White light covered all of him. He was in white light ball now. In white light room. In dark deep down place. In light. All light.He waited. In light ball. In white light. All light all around. What happen now now now? Wait more more more? For more light more more more? For more power more more more? For fix system now now now? What happen now now now now?He waited. In light ball. In white light. All light. And wait. And wait. And wait…