Part 4: Prologue - Part 4

Track—Drittestock






"Did I do something wrong?"


"Yes, you did. Just now..."


"Just now?"

He was getting more and more confused.


"I mean... I don't want...you to get in the way. That's all."


"Get in the way of what?"



[Music—Stop]

Jolting suddenly, the elevator stopped.

Prologue – Premonitions & Omens
The video contains the rest of the update, but I’ll still do the screenshot section normally. The video has all the cool effects that aren’t shown in the screenshots and really sets up the mood. Also best viewed in full-screen (and HD).



The lights flickered unsteadily.


"Wh...what was that?"


"It couldn't be..."


"Couldn't be? Couldn't be what?"



Track—Gedaechtnisschwund



He wondered if something had gone terribly wrong. It was strange. Very strange....



(We've finally met... I've been looking for you this whole time...)

But his voice didn't reach her.

"------, -----"
"-----"
"---------"

He couldn't hear her voice either. No matter how much he tried... No sounds reached him now.

(Damn...what's going on...?)



He was able to make sure. He could see himself and the girl talking over there. He saw it on the other side...

(I... I can see myself over there...?)

He watched. And he watched.



(No...it's odd... If I'm watching them, then who is the 'me' watching me?)

Something felt out of place. Now he knew the truth and his lips trembled.

(Who is that...? Who could the 'me' over there be?)

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

It was like a dream.

It was like he was watching the continuation of a dream.





All of the screaming. And the sound of running feet. The shrill wailing of sirens.

That wasn't a dream or an illusion.




"I don't know anything... Do you know something?"


"How could I know anything?"

The lights gradually dimmed and finally went out.





He had no idea. He didn't know... There was no way he could know.



There...

On the bed...

There...



Who are...

(You...?)

Who...?

(Stop...)

Please stop.

(Don't come out...)

Please don't come out.

(Stay inside...)

Don't crawl out of there.

(Stop...Plea...)

S-st...sto...stop...



There was nothing to fear. It was alright.

Because there was no longer anyone.

Because there was no one there.






"I'm here! I'm still in here! Somebody, get me out of here! Answer me...please..."





Nobody answered. The surroundings were filled with silence.


“What? Is anybody there? So I'm alone...hee, hee, hee."

He burst with laughter.

The ultimate feeling of liberation. There was no one to restrain him now.


"Ah, ha, ha, ha!"



But no one stopped him.

Getting there was easy. All that was left was to aim for the 'center.'

Just take a step. It was simple.



He sank. Deeper, deeper and deeper...





The embrace of unbelievably pure silence. Not even a beam of light pierced the darkness. All he could hear was repetitive, heavy breathing.





His vision narrowed and was overrun with blue. Deep blue. Blue...

Something was strange...

He wondered if it really was blue.





Sweat poured off of him. His breathing was ragged, and labored.





Black.

Endless black.

There was no mistaking it this time... Everything was stained black. There were no boundaries to this color.





He felt pressure expanding in his lungs. He felt queasy, sick to his stomach.


"The air pressure...is dropping..."

(I forgot...I need to pop my ears...)

With a pop, the air building inside his ears was released.


"Damn... Which way is the exit...?"





Nothing moved. He didn't move either.

There wasn't any sign of a breeze. He didn't hear anything. Just echoes from something, invisible.

Time froze to a stop.

If he stopped here, he felt like he would forget that he was even alive. It was his intuition.

Only a little more...

No!

It was no good. He had to get out. But he didn't even know which direction to go.

He had to get...himself out of this darkness... had to... But what could he do? What could...

He didn't know. He didn't know...



Light...?

A blade of light slicing through the flat world of darkness. And he knew...

The direction was over there... And that there might be a way out... If he could get over there...


Aaaaaand here’s the choice I’ll be forcing. We’ll be heading down Takeshi’s path starting Monday, and I’ll see if I can’t rustle up some trivia for over the weekend