"He's alive…"

"He mustn't die…"

"He deserves answers…"

All these whispers that Artyom knew sounded all around him. His eyes opened, breathing was still heavy but as he focused he saw clearly as the dark ones kneel around his body. One hovering his hand above Artyom's body, other one holding his forehead.

"What are you doing to me…" Artyom asked. His answer was not answered for a while.

"His name is Artyom… he saved our ruler, Tenebras." Artyom still could hear their thoughts.

"Artyom is purple here. He was outside for too long…" the other dark one said as his hovering hand stopped above Artyom's lungs.

"Little dark one… please… I need to see the little dark one!" Artyom pleaded to those dark ones. They didn't seem to understand at first but then they stopped with examining him and looked at each other.

"He needs to see Tenebras." One of the dark ones said. The other one stood up and vanished for their ruler. Artyom was waiting and he started to feel that filter works no more so he needed to swap it for a new one. He tried to sit up with his painful stomach and reach for his bag where he contained filters. As he pulled out a new one, dark one grabbed his arm and rolled up the sleeve of his armor.

"You are purple…" the dark one whispered and revealed part of Artyom's body that was decaying due to irradiation. The flesh of his was becoming necrotic and it was falling off. Artyom got startled. He flinched off, examining his necrotic arm with a lot of concern.

"No… this can't be happening!" Artyom was getting in hysteria.

"Artyom?" familiar voice of Artyom's past sounded as a dark one appeared next to him from nowhere. It was the little dark one but he was no longer little. He grew up but still it was him because he wasn't as tall as other dark ones.

"Little dark one… is that you?" Artyom asked.

"Artyom, I am so sorry that I wasn't there to see you… unfortunately it's too late for you. You're purple…"

"What the hell does the purple mean?!" Artyom exclaimed.

"Purple is a color of corruption. You are not adapted on living outside, such as me not being adapted on living underground. Do you remember?"

"Heh… you want to tell me that I am irradiated?!" Artyom chuckled with a sign of desperation in it.

"You can't stay. We aren't able to help you as long as you stay here. We don't know your body… I am sorry…"

"That is all?! I came through all the pain and irradiation just for realizing that you have become ruler of dark ones and that you can't help me?! Is that it?!" Artyom growled but the little dark one, now named as Tenebras, placed hand on Artyom's head to repeat his memories with him. Artyom saw all the adventures again and it didn't help him.

"Why… little dark one?"

"Because I always considered you as my friend. If I still remember, you were the first one who found me and the first one who saved me from dying in the underground. I trusted you, Artyom."

"I was not coming for the old memories… I wanted to know what changed when you were gone. I wanted to see how you grew up, whether you have forgotten about me, I wanted to talk to a friend… everything around me is only militaristic…" Artyom sighed, his sadness increasing the way that Tenebras could sense it.

"Artyom… please don't show me weakness…" Tenebras said and grabbed Artyom's hand.

"Everything lost sense in last few years. Maybe I've got son, but his mother loves only the soldier that I used to be. I want to stop this never ending cycle of waking up in the underground, not sure whether it's night or day. All the battles that I came through made me tired and I still remembered how you reminded me of what is important in life…"

"So you've changed everything radically, Artyom? You haven't got much time with being purple like that… and you want to tell me that you did all this just because you wanted to see me?"

"No… I wouldn't be that idiot…" Artyom said and crossed his arms around Tenebras' back.

"Artyom what are you…"

"It's hard to be sad, little dark one. I had to push my feelings back because I was forced to stay strong. I have enough of being strong. I need more than just seeing a friend…" Artyom said, his wrap around Tenebras was strong and Tenebras wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Artyom…" Tenebras started. Artyom paid attention while hugging him and Tenebras hugged him back, "I have missed you as well… there was much to do so I couldn't see you. We were building colonies, expanding clan and I was made the ruler… I wished to see you as well but I couldn't… I'm glad to see you here, even when it's late for you, friend."

Everything became silent. Tenebras and Artyom were left alone but after few minutes of silence, both of them heard whispers.

"Impending doom approaches!" dark ones whispered all around the colony.

"Artyom… you have to leave!" Tenebras said.

"What? What happens?!" Artyom asked. As he finished, he heard helicopters. Artyom was forced to run out of the cave and saw the ranger helicopter above the crater, a ladder leading to the ground and Adam planting bomb.

"Adam!" Artyom shouted. Adam turned behind.

"Artyom! Come! I'm taking you back to the safety!" Adam shouted and waved at him.

"Adam! Defuse that bomb! Now!"

"Sorry, Artyom! I can't!" Adam said and Artyom started to run towards him but on the half way he felt another wave of spasm coming through his lungs.

"F*ck!" Artyom shouted, he knelt down, took his mask off and started to vomit blood.

"Artyom! The mask!"

"No! Artyom!" Tenebras though and ran towards Artyom to help him.

"Not so fast, dark one!" Adam said and took his revolver, pointing at Tenebras and shooting two shots at him.

"Noo!" Artyom watched how Tenebras was shot and even he couldn't breathe, he wanted to shout. Before he noticed anything, Adam had taken him under his belly and carried him over his shoulder.

"You'll be fine, Artyom. They won't mess you up anymore."

"Monsters…! Traitors…!" Artyom said hoarsely, losing his consciousness due to a lack of air. Adam grabbed the ladder and was pulled up to the helicopter.

"Ar-Artyom… I cannot… let you go!" Tenebras thought and tried to reach for Artyom who was up in the helicopter. Tenebras was injured, lying helplessly on the ground. Artyom was transported into D6 to the hospital sector and the colony of dark ones blew up once again.

Once doctors in the hospital took care of Artyom, he was incapacitated of his will and put in jail, being tied up to a bed. He rested on a bed in a dark room but it didn't look well for him. Dark ones were most likely destroyed, Artyom was captured and had to deal with Miller, Adam and Anna. How will all this end?