Chapter 7 - Nadir - Side A

Red. Burn. Burning me. We'll start with the eyes. The retinas. Burn my retinas. I look to the side. No. They're still not burned. The Red is still not burned in them. I return to the Red. Burn. Burn my hand instead. I discard my glove and put my hand above the Red. The Red tickles me. I'm furious. I lower my hand, it starts hurting. I lower it further, it hurts more. I need to. I need to feel it. In my brain, the Red is king, in my brain the Red controls me. In my brain, I am Red. I lower my hand even further into the Red. My trembling leg can't take it. My trembling leg detests my trembling hand. My trembling leg longs for Red. My trembling leg erects and throws me towards the Red. My body wants Red. I want Red. Red wants Red. My retinas aren't burned with Red, but my hand is, and soon... my body will burn as well.

She strikes me. She hurls the coat at me. She rolls me in the snow. She brings her fists unto me with anger. She wets me with her tears.

"Why... What are you doing!?" She hollers, violently.

I look at her despairing face. There's a black spot in the middle. It's Red. It burned my retinas.

I get up and move away, she's still on her knees, crying.

Something inside my brain is screaming at me, screaming 'sorry', so I say it, hoping that it will settle down and leave me at peace. "Sorry, Sam."

"Lara... what is going on?" She pleads, distressed.

"I don't know, Sam." I answer. I don't, so please, stop talking to me.

I hear her moving. Standing up. Nearing me.

She embraces me from behind. I tense up. Part of me wants to rip her away, throw her into Red, for some reason. The other part is in a panic, pounding inside my heart, squeezing my lungs, cutting me from my supply of air, begging me to let her out, to let her assume control of me again.

"Look at me, there's something I want to ask you." She utters, calmer than before, but still breathing heavily.

I turn to face her. Her face is wet from crying. Her eyes are piercing mine. I find myself entranced by them.

Holding my arms, she asks: "What is your name?"

This is so silly. Yet, she seems so serious about it.

"Lara... Croft is my name." I answer, after careful consideration. I notice the Red is still burning wild right behind her. I just need a chance, and I'll do it.

"When did we meet for the first time?" Asked she, in a more stern tone.

"It was... it was... college, right?" I didn't have the patience for these deep mind games anymore. I decided to just say the first thing that came to mind. While still plotting a way to get her to Red.

"Don't you mean university?" Again, she asked.

"Isn't it the same?" Said I, a bit more irritated. Just shut up, you stupid girl, when I'm rid of you, all my problems will vanish! I'm so close, I'm so close!

She tightened her grip on my arms and uttered, in an authoritative voice: "How did Winston die?"

Her words startled me. Why? They're just words. They aren't tangible. They mean nothing! 'I don't give a fuck how he died!'

As soon as I thought that, I was overcome in an emotion I'd never felt before: sadness.

And suddenly I wasn't me anymore. I was I. I was Lara Croft.

The black spot had vanished from my retinas, and a liquid ran down my cheeks. Now, I was crying. Now, I was in pain.

Chapter 7 - Spire - Side B

She fell on her knees. Her arms gave in to the ground. Defeated. Weak.

But changed. Back to being herself. At least, that's what I hoped.

"Lara... What happened?" Asked I, as I lowered myself to her level.

She looked at me with confused eyes. "I... I don't remember it well." Whispered she. "You fell down the slope. I went after you. Then I..." She spoke slowly, like she was reliving every moment in her mind. "I saw you drowning. After that... I have no idea how I saved you..."

I tried to piece things together in my head.

"It was like you were someone else, like you were possessed." Spoke I. I stared at her worried expression. "You were going to hurt yourself in the fire. On purpose." Added I, as painful as it was to say it, I needed to.

She buried her face in her hands and started weeping. I moved closer to her.

"Lara..." I ran my hand through her face. She was going through so much pain again. Just like before, in the hospital. "Lara, I'm here, it will be okay, everything will be okay."

"Sam..." Said she, between sobs. "I can't understand this, Sam. I don't know why this happened."

"It's... serious, but Lara, I'm sure it's treatable... I'm sure you'll be fine. I'm with you." I tried to sound reassuring.

"I'm so glad you're here." She embraced me, only to quickly move away. "I mean, oh God, I'm sorry, Sam! You almost died again because of me." She sank into the ground. "I'm so selfish. Sam, I'm horrible... Please, Sam... forgive me..." She pleaded, in a panic.

"You're not, Lara. I'm here because I want to be." I raised her from the ground and placed my hands around her face. "I'm here because I want to be with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you, Sam. Don't leave me!" She wrapped her arms around me and buried her head on my shoulder.

"I'll never leave you." Said I. "I love you." I whispered.