Boomer and Roberts-the only surviving soldiers sluggishly walked through the dark, circular hallway. Light poured through a crack in the wall as they rounded a turn, but it didn't ease their tension.
Boomer kept his back leaned against the wall, and his rifle close to him, ready to shoot whatever lay ahead. The first thing that greeted them was a wide staircase that spread over the entire room, ahead of the hallway.
The bones of a giant serpent, or dragon, or snake-Boomer didn't want to know-lay sprawled on the stairway. Boomer started thinking that is something could kill a creature that big, did that mean there was something bigger?
The world is a gaping hole.
The large staircase ended over the top of one of the large towers. A stone bridge stood tall and conceited in the misty distance.
Too many men were lost in the depths of this place for me to remember. It took me a while to realize I was one of them. One on the list of casualties, swallowed in the dark.
Boomer and Roberts rounded the towers outer figure, when Boomer heard a screech coming from the distance and the silhouette of a flying Creature flapping it's way over their direction. Boomer stopped Roberts from going any further by blocking him with his arm, keeping them hidden behind the tower as the Creature flew by, carrying either a soldier or a Creature, they didn't want to find out.
Funny how it is, when you're used to walking on the safe side, pulling people out of harm's way. When you start to think of yourself as a hero. But then,
The opposite side of the tower connected to a large bridge, leading to another. Two Creatures jumped down from the roof or a tower above.
There's no hiding from darkness.
Boomer and Roberts fired headshots. The Creatures slumped to the ground, the thick blood oozing out of their wounds.
Well, not this kind of darkness.
Boomer's mind went back to when they first entered the castle, blasting the gates open. The memories of the debris flying and the smoke clogging the air seemed so vivid; they didn't feel like memories at all.
Hours have passed since I've first stepped through those gates, and still, the feeling of eyes lingers in my mind.
Back in reality, they Boomer looked above him to see the barriers and towers. They seemed to stoop and twist.
The walls shift and bend above me, stalking me.
He looked at Roberts, checking the next rounded corner.
Preying upon the man I can still protect.
He suddenly felt a wave of determination, but it hastily dissipated when he saw some sort of creature sticking it's head out through a crack. It's bony, skeletal figure seemed too blood-chilling for the glow in it's eyes to take it's effect of fear.
I can hear the whispers. In fact I-
The creature stirred back into the crack, leaving Roberts and Boomer back in safety-or so they thought.
I can't seem to hear anything else.
Boomer thought of himself with the weak hearts of the Creatures in the palm of his hand, crushing them for all they were worth. Blood stained his face and the insane smile defined who he really was becoming inside.
I welcome the sound, and hope that soon, I'll get to break the bones of those demons… Such fragile creatures; they break so easily.
They passed over another set of stairs as wide as the last one they walked. A large bridge in the shape of an archway rounded over them.
Questions crowd my thoughts; it's a reprieve from the stone's cold chanting.
They found themselves at the top of another tower with an archway that lead into total darkness. Boomer walked through and found himself on a different tower, staring at Ray from behind. What the hell?
What am I really doing here?
Where am I?
What is this place?
Did any of the others make it?
Is there any real hope of escaping from here?
Looking off in the distance, they saw the gates to get to the courtyard. Their ticket of escape to freedom.
What difference does hope make anyway? We die in here.
A deliberate image of Beecher, Lloyd, and Etrius entered his thoughts.
I miss my old team. I miss…everything outside of this darkness but, them in particular. Surely, they'll have some of the answers to this riddle-this… maze of questions. Can't help but think I'm not going to see them, though.
A montage sequence of the altar room situation flashed in his mind and layered each thing he saw.
Something was wrong earlier. That gunshot…
He replayed the sound of the gunshot in his mind.
Lloyd pulling arms…
He remembered Lloyd holding the sword to the General's neck.
The hate in Beecher's eyes.
He recalled the sight of seeing Beecher's red eyes with an unforgiving, cold edge. He remembered the gunshot again. It sounded like a pistol's. But, the only one in the altar room who had their pistol out was… The General.
The General… Etrius… I… No. I don't believe it! I- I refuse to believe it!
An image of the General appeared in his vision. But, this one didn't look like the General. Sure, he knew this was the same General who gave him his orders but, something was wrong with him. The look in his eyes. They looked… Sinful.
He wouldn't.
Lloyd and Etrius are still sealed away in that room. I doubt I'll see them again. I doubt I'll… see anything again.
-I'm too lazy to write an author's note.