Night 71: Main Hallway, 1-West

[redcladidealist]

[From here.]

Still keeping a wary eye out for any kind of threat, Lloyd stepped into the hall and shined his flashlight around. Still nothing, and the stairs were just up ahead. He crossed the distance swiftly, planting his feet on the first stair steps.

[To here.]

Comments

[toujoursalarecherche]

[From here.]

Ciel continued to walk through the more open hallway she found herself in. There were some stairs, and also a few doors that couldn't be opened. It took her a few seconds to figure out how to operate them, having been used to automatic doors, but felt the responding locks with the twists of the knobs to know enough.

Still finding no one around, for better or worse, the seemingly ancient place came off as very much abandoned. She still couldn't shake off the feeling that she felt very, very alone. It was a terrible feeling.

Was there ever a time when she felt this way in her life, ever since she was with the Resistance? She had all her friends, the Reploids that she helped save, the sentient robots that had enough of a spark of life and will of their own that they might as well have been human beings. And now? Ever since what happened right before she came here...

...no, ever since that event a while ago. How long was it? A year or so? A part of her heart died that day, and she could only confirm that right before...

Her breathing began to oscillate, replaying what happened in the Outlands. The uncomfortable shoes that weren't broken in, and probably weren't her exact size to begin with, began to fade into the background of her thoughts against the cascade of feelings overwhelming her. Finding that evil monster, running for her life.

And the worst part: She had nothing to show for that, now. It was almost too much to bear, now. She had nothing, and at this point if she couldn't get out of this situation, she would die in vain. She would die, and he would win, after everything that was sacrificed in the name of peace.

... No. She had to come back. Come back with what she found. Her breathing calmed down as she attempted to regain control of herself. She needed to return, with her discoveries, or else there would eventually be nothing left to save.

She wouldn't let what happened be in vain. The reminder of the source of her newfound strength helped her keep going, towards the source of the night light, seeing the open doors to her left up ahead.

[To here]