[name] thought death would be cold. The pain would go by quickly, and their life would flash before their eyes.
Only one of those things was true. They felt every agonizing moment of the teeth of whatever creature piercing their body, blood bubbling up from each wound. Iron swelled up in their throat, forcing them to cough and hack out the blood that swarmed there. A coolness enveloped their body after tears streamed down their face, and then silence.
Their limbs were heavy, but they could still feel them, in a way. They could feel most of their body. The taste of metal from their tongue was gone, and that's when they noticed a faint, yellow light hovering over a cluttered desk. [name] found themselves moving toward it before they could think anything over. The light was tall and...moving.
[name] probably would have allowed this to pass, but there were odd, blue lights(?) below the faint light. They disappeared for a moment, then reappeared. Their heart leaped to their throat.
Those were eyes.
They moved back, stumbling over their legs, which felt like lead. [name] hit the ground, laughter following their clumsiness. Laughter that wasn't their own, nor did they recognize it.
"I was wondering how long you were going to notice." This voice was unfamiliar to [name], but it had some sort of effect that echoed in this space, wherever they were.
[name] got to their feet, lifting their eyes to meet the blue ones that were illuminated, but didn't produce any light. They moved slightly to the left, the same eyes watching them as they moved back to where they were before.
A sigh, "yes. I can see you."
[name] furrowed their brows, glancing around in the dark of the room, then approached the desk once again. They looked up at the light, then into the blue eyes once again, trying to make out any sort of feature aside from the eyes but had no luck in doing so.
"So? You gonna say something?" When the person spoke, [name] could see a twitch in their upper eye(still finding it odd that they had three eyes). [name] swallowed, finding their throat dry.
"I...I thought you brought me here." [name] instinctively felt at their stomach and waistline, but was met with the press of fabric against their untouched skin. They looked downwards, shocked to see and feel no crusted or fresh blood along their abdomen; in fact, they were just as surprised to even be conscious.
Weren't they swallowed whole?
"What? What? Am I missing something?" They- he- it, whatever they were, sounded annoyed.
[name] swallowed again, mind reeling over the fact they were still alive, breathing, no wounds in sight. They lifted their head, wide-eyed at whatever stood before them.
"How am I alive?" They managed to whisper, running a hand down their face to feel the blood flowing underneath their skin. The voice made a noise, it sounded like disbelief, then laughed once.
"What am I, your therapist? You called me here..." They trailed off as if they weren't sure of this fact themselves, "right?"
"Wh-what? Called you... I... I don't even know who you are, let alone where we are!" Complete darkness still engulfed the area, obscuring anything within a three-foot radius, "and-and I just died!"
They dug their hands into the jumpsuit that clung to their skin, feeling around for any holes that they might've grown numb to. Maybe...maybe this was all some dream and not some sort of purgatory or unknown hell they just spawned into.
The figure before them narrowed their blue eyes, humming, said hum bouncing off of whatever walls that surrounded them; or there was this natural echo about it, which [name] found to be impossible.
Impossible seemed like a funny word to describe this situation.
"And...where did you happen to be when you...died?" [name] flinched at the tone; this...whoever they were, they didn't believe them!
"A facility run by Urbanshade," [name] responded, frowning as they realized giving this information out could get them killed if they were still alive, "don't think you probably heard of it-"
"Oh, I know what Urbanshade is." Their voice snapped, cutting them off. [name] blinked a few times, slowly nodding, "and you died there?"
It felt as if they were going in circles, "yes."
"By what, exactly?"
Now, this was a question [name] was still unsure about. They only felt the pain and they weren't exactly aware of an incoming attack. Even if they tried thinking back on their memory of that moment, the only things they saw were the horrified looks of the others, the few lockers in the room, and that door outlined in yellow.
"I don't know."
[name] heard them sigh, grumble something under their breath, sigh once more, then ask, "how did you die then? What happened? Was it dark? Give me something to work with here!"
This was strange. He was strange. But [name] had nothing to lose.
"Well...I was struck from behind, something pierced my torso, I think my back too, my waist... I think whatever got me went all the way through," [name] trailed off, pursing their lips, "Evelyn said something about feeling off, I think. Oh, and the lights flickered. She said that after they flickered."
They heard a snap, which caused the human to look around quickly in a bit of a panic. Then, they realized it was only the one on the other side of the desk and calmed their racing heart.
"You'll get the hang of that one eventually," he said in an unnaturally composed voice, sliding an open folder onto the desk in front of them, for a moment, [name] was shocked, as they focused on the four-fingered hand of the one before them, then onto the document before them... Which the majority was blacked out. The one thing that was clear enough was the pictures seen on the left of the file.
It was...hard to process. There were two images, both brightened, but also somewhat fuzzy. The surrounding area in both photos was the inside of the site [name] was in just minutes ago, but the most notable thing about it was the smoke, or darkness, following the head of some creature.
This creature, the Angler, had a greyish face, a bit round, but it was hard to tell with the dark around the edges of the shape. Looked as if skin was melting off, or melting tar. The thing that caught their eye the most was the sharp, white teeth, many, many teeth. Teeth that could pierce a human's body with ease. Teeth that no doubt pierced their body, then swallowed them whole.
Flickering lights, the slow-growing screaming in the back of their mind. And then the impact. It was a warning.
The hand that had placed the document down hooked a clawed finger on the underside of the folder and flicked it shut, using that same claw to pull it back into the darkness. For a moment, it looked like this claw was pure white in the light, but [name] just realized it was instead a greyish blue.
Silence once again. [name] was slowly piecing together the ounce of information they had received and what they knew to be true; especially weighing on the sight of this creature. What the hell kind of world did they live in when things like that existed?
"Then...what do I do now? Like, am I just stuck here? Where do I go?" They asked, more so to the one that most obviously held more answers than they had. Yet, they received no response. They turned their head upwards, expecting to see those blank, blue eyes. Yet, there was nothing. They lifted their head further to the light bulb that now visibly hung closer to [name]'s head than before; it glared with an old, yellow hue.
The bulb flickered and set their heart at a quick pace before the darkness around them consumed [name] whole.
⋅˚₊‧ ଳ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
[name] jolted awake, their eyes wide and sweat coating the back of their neck. They could hear the pumping of their blood in their ears, pricks of pain running along their waist and dotting around their stomach.
The familiar hum of the submarine reached their ears, the shadows of the handles dangling next to their head causing them to flinch and pull back, nearly bumping their head against the metal. Then, something touched their arm, and [name] pulled back quickly, leaning to their right, almost against Evelyn.
Aisha blinked in surprise, pulling her hand away. She cocked her head to the side as if to ask, "what's wrong?"
"Bad dream," [name] said dryly, then nodded, reaffirming, "sorry."
The red lights that shined against the dull metal flashed once, a chime ringing loudly in the sub. The item that opened the submarine last time fell next to Vanessa, still attached to that rubbery material. She picked it up, hesitant as ever.
[name] turned their head to Emil, seconds before he spoke, "don't press-"
Vanessa was already in the action of pressing the button, the same chime as before ringing in the prisoner's ears, waking those who slept up and sending chills down [name]'s spine. They stood quickly, wobbled as the underwater vehicle bobbed to the surface, and stumbled to the entrance that unfolded, allowing them to stand on solid ground.
It all dawned upon [name]. Every single phrase and action made by their group so far was identical to the ones before.
Were they dreaming? Reliving the same death over and over? How was this possible?
The intercom known to the eight of them rang over their heads, pulling [name] out of their thoughts.
"Reminder; a Navi-Path marked is currently the safest. That doesn't mean it's completely lacking danger. Pick up any loose assets you find, as long as it doesn't jeopardize the main objective." The intercom dinged once more before it fell silent.
That...that was different.
They searched the room, [name] actively doing so as well to maybe find some sort of clue or a file like that...that person showed them of the Angler. Nothing. But the layout of the docking bay was different; and with the small lockers Aisha opened, she found a smaller canister of blue DNA, unlike last time when she found nothing.
"Keycard," Kei announced, swiping it from the table right when Evelyn reached for it. The blonde woman pouted but followed after, the two taking turns crawling under the high stacked crates.
A muffled noise came from the submarine, the metal plank folding in on itself and sealing before disappearing back under the water. Everyone watched, and so did [name], surprised, just like before.
"What the hell?!" Kei hissed, eyes glaring at the water, tossing his hands up in the air, "they left us!"
[name] watched the keycard carefully, just in case it'd slip from his grip, but it seemed, in his anger, his grip just got tighter. Emil shrugged, wandering over at his own pace, "they probably don't want us back 'til we get what they need," he met their gaze, giving a lazy smile.
"Let's get this over with. Open the door." Vanessa stated bluntly. She didn't have the keycard this time, so they assumed that's why she stated that phrase differently.
But why were things changing? If this really was a second chance at life, shouldn't it stay the same?
"Hey, [name]! Quit staring off into space, let's go!" Aisha's voice further ahead caught them by surprise. They were standing in the doorway of 001, Aisha already at door 002, with some of the others lingering a bit further ahead. They hurried, their legs dragging against the floor as if weights were tied to their ankles.
003.
004. [name] found a small folder of various files. Nothing helpful.
005, Emil found a medkit. Kei wanted to hold onto it, but Emil gave it to Evelyn instead who clutched it like her life depended on it.
[name] stared at the next door with disdain. If they spoke up about the lights, or about anything that could be ahead, would they believe them? They would think they were just a rat, a mole sent by Urbanshade... But [name] was a prisoner, just like them!
Vanessa slotted the keycard into 006's door, the hunk of metal sliding into the frame, allowing entry. [name] followed at the end of the group, watching the lights.
A few seconds went by. They tore their eyes away from the lights for a moment to gaze around the room. It was shaped like an intersection, three doors at the end of each wall with four, outlined rooms within the squares on the side. Another door needing a keycard; but there were three doors with three key slots in total.
[name] walked straight ahead, to the door diagonal to the one they all had entered through. Sparks flew from the electrical sign next to the door, causing them to flinch but not halt in their stride. They stepped close, at least a foot or so away from the door.
Their blood ran cold and their eyes widened. Breathing. There was breathing on the other side of the door. They held their breath, an inkling of hope that it was just their breath. No; it was heavy, inhuman. This door wasn't safe.
[name] turned around quickly, running to the middle of the intersection, and then to the door on their left. They practically threw themself against it, their ear pressed hard against the cool metal. They waited for a while, ignoring the obvious looks they felt eyeing their back. Nothing. There was no breathing on this side of the door. [name] stepped back, trying to calm their racing heart.
"Found it!" Evelyn announced cheerfully. [name] turned quickly.
"This door," they said, feeling out of breath, "this is the right door."
Ozzy turned his head at the other doors in the room, making his way over to their position as he asked, "wouldn't all the doors lead us to where we're going anyways? They should be marked by the Navi-Path..."
"No." They cringed upon listening to themself speak in such a hurried tone, "no... It's...there's breathing behind one of the doors. A-and that guy over the intercom, he said that it's not completely lacking on any danger..."
Odd looks. [name] knew this was coming, but it still felt uncomfortable to be treated like you were crazy when they were speaking the truth. Emil hummed, parting from the group for a moment. [name] watched with wide eyes, about to run and stop him, but realized he couldn't get through the doors anyway; Evelyn had the keycard.
Everyone watched Emil cross the intersection and lean close to the opposite door. It was quiet, save for the distant sound of running water. Emil quietly stepped back, stared at the door, then turned and moved back to the group.
"They're right." He scratched his beard, looking a bit pale, "heard some growlin'. If ya think this is the right one, then I trust yer instincts."
It was relieving to hear that someone trusted them, despite all the looks they received.
"And," he spoke up again, "if yer still doubtful, by all means, go 'nd take a listen."
Kei and Ezekiel parted from the group first, then Ozzy and Vanessa. Evelyn looked as if she wanted to check too, but waited. Vanessa and Ezekiel listened to both doors, while Ozzy and Kei returned after only listening to one.
"That's freaky scary," Oz chuckled, running a hand through his hair. Kei kept his arms crossed, brow furrowed. Vanessa returned, looking a bit flushed, Ezekiel walking over undeterred. He moved to the front of the group and stood close to the wall next to the door, listening. After what seemed like forever, he stepped back.
Evelyn, with the medkit tucked under her arm, pushed the card into the slot. It beeped a few times, before chiming and pulling the door open. Sudden relief washed over the entirety of the group, but that relief to [name] turned quickly to fear as the lights flickered in the room the group stood in and the room in front of them.
They heard it to, just barely, the distant screaming. Although, just because the screaming was distant, did not take away its danger.
"Shitty electricity," Kei grunted, just like before. Evelyn's lips parted, but she closed them with a frown.
[name] stepped back a few steps quickly, turning their head left to the side-room door, "no, no. Guys! Guys, please, please, in here! I- we're in danger!"
Whether it was their rushed voice or frightened face, everyone froze for a second. For a moment, [name] thought it was over. The Angler was already behind them and ready to devour them all, just like before. History was meant to repeat itself, right?
Emil moved behind [name], Aisha, Oz, and Evelyn following; pulling a stubborn Vanessa with her. Ezekiel and Kei staggered, still uncertain.
"If you want to die, that's on you!" [name] shouted, "but I'm damn well going to see the sky again!"
They turned, hurrying towards the room outlined in yellow. [name] almost slipped upon stepping on the wooden floor covered in scattered papers, but a strong hand pushed them further into the room until they were stumbling behind an office desk.
[name] crouched low behind the desk, the fluorescent lights above the group, Kei and Ezekiel surprisingly included, flickering once more before going out as something cloaked in black smoke rushed by, screaming, rushing through the door they had just opened. It grew distant yet again as the eight of them held their breaths.
It was complete silence, pitch black, but their eyes adjusted slowly. Just enough that they could see three feet in front of them. [name] could see the dark figures of the others who were hiding behind the desks slowly rise to their feet, someone tall (who they assumed was the one who pushed them in) doing the same in front of them.
Someone got to the doorway first, their figure disappearing, then reappearing quickly, "guys?" It was Oz, "something's...something dark is floating next to the door."
After a pause, Vanessa spoke up, "what?"
Oz fumbled with his words, shifting in the doorway, "I-I don't know! It's just like I said, something is just...floating! Near the door!"
"Is it doin' anythin'?" Emil's voice came from the far corner of the room they hid in.
"Floating."
"I meant is it doin' anythin' else?" He sounded annoyed, but he was rightfully so.
Oz went quiet, no doubt turning his head to look back at whatever creature he could see, then back at the group, "no. I don't think so..." He was quiet again, then whispered, "it kind of looks like an octopus?"
The fact that they had experienced so many unknown variables so far, a floating octopus in the dark was not so far off. Emil sighed, and [name] spotted his figure rising in front of the desk in front of them. The rest of the group did the same, moving carefully to the exit. Oz's figure moved to the left, allowing whoever was leading the group out to go first; and, whoever was leading, probably spotted the creature Oz was explaining.
"Just...don't look at it, maybe it'll go away if we just ignore it." Evelyn quietly suggested, her voice reaching everyone's ears due to the eerie silence. This was the only advice they could all abide by though, since nobody voiced any other opinions on the matter.
[name] heard Oz shuffle in line behind them. They moved past the floating creature, keeping their heads down, but [name] swore they felt the coolness of one of the tendrils brush against their leg.
The two doors onwards were engulfed in darkness. Whatever had rushed through here had popped the electricity or the sources of lights; Emil just told everyone to stick to the right side of the wall anyway, and they successfully made it to a lit-up room.
This room was shaped like a short 't', the door they needed to venture through on their right, while the door on their left was completely bent inwards with two, red dashes marked on the electrical sign; probably indicating it was no longer useable(obviously).
"HOLY SHIT!" They heard Kei scream out, the sound of locker doors being thrown open echoing off the walls. [name] was barely able to see it in time, but they just saw the entirety of his body being pulled into a locker, the doors slamming shut behind him.
"Kei! Kei- he...he- something grabbed him!" Evelyn cried out, the nearest to the locker, which was now visibly shaking. Kei's muffled cries could be heard coming from inside.
"Well- don't just stand there!" Aisha rushed over, as did Emil and Oz. Aisha pulled at the metal doors, those doors flying open to reveal a black mass within, large, purple eyes staring at the group of them with Kei's body held back by thick tendrils. Emil reached by Aisha's head and grabbed hold of what was reachable of Kei's arm and pulled.
The mass gave easily, Emil pulling most of Kei's body out, the two falling back on the floor. The creature in the locker let out an ungodly noise and then pulled the doors shut with barbed, black tentacles. Kei didn't look injured, but he groaned on the floor. There was a feeling of dread that weighed upon all of them, knowing that death was what awaited them if they failed.
Everyone took a moment to catch their breaths. Then, it would be time to move on.