Dead to the World

Lara slowly opened her eyes and to her bewilderment found that her circumstances had completely changed to where she was previously in the burial chamber of Aknetem. She at once examined the injury that was inflicted upon her during the fight, but surprisingly the blade that had been struck on her abdomen had mysteriously vanished. There was no evidence of any wound on her body whatsoever, yet she still felt the agonising pain caused by the strike. Shaken, Lara struggled to get to her feet whilst taking deep breaths between each stage of movement and as she got up, she took note of her current situation. There was little light in the enclosure and from what the tomb raider could make out was that she was stood alone in the middle of a narrow tunnel. All was quiet and the air was damp, the rock and stone that formed the tunnel formation had varying degrees of unkept moss and foliage growing all around. Left or right she did not know which way to go in that moment.

'Is this a dream or am I hallucinating?' Lara pondered as she surveyed around at her new surroundings. Unusual masks that were hung either side of the passage like a gallery became apparent and inquisitively the adventurer made her way over to one that was within her line of sight.

'Well, what do we have here…' She gone ahead and inspected the chosen sculpture. There was something to admire about the level of detail and craft that had gone into the creation of it even though it could have been made up by her imagination, and no doubt this applied to the others on either side. However, Lara couldn't help herself thinking that there was something wicked and ghastly about what she was gazing at as the mask did not have a pleasant look about it. In fact, it was more the opposite and the vibe it gave off was so melancholy.

'This doesn't appear to be of Aztec, Inca, or Mayan origin at all. How peculiar, I wonder if…' Without warning that trail of thought was washed away as she stepped back and unintentionally had triggered a hidden switch underneath her footing. All before she could react to it, a familiar voice rang throughout the enclosed passageway.

"Oh Lara, when are you going to learn you fool?!" The echoes of Christian laughing and taunting angered her as the tomb raider frantically checked all around for his whereabouts, but he was nowhere to be seen like a haunting phantom.

"Where are you!? Come out of your hiding place and face me if you dare, I'm itching for round two!" Lara countered back, though in an unexpected response the ground began to rumble violently.

"Ah right on schedule… enjoy your just deserts, Lady Croft!" The voice of Christian sneered. In that split second, the famous archaeologist saw what he meant that was coming at high speed in her direction.

'Blast! Not a wretched boulder!' Lara cursed. She knew all too well about this malicious trap from her earlier adventures. Time was of the essence and the relentless boulder was chasing and destroying everything in its path. On the double, Lara sprinted as fast as she could, doing her best to ignore the searing agony coming from her gut and being watchful not to trip up, otherwise consequently she would be engulfed by the huge oncoming rock that was edging ever nearer. Up ahead there was a small opening on the ground that was full of water and as the rolling boulder was mere inches behind Lara had spotted it to evade, and without hesitation took a deep breath and dived straight in.

Out of the frying pan and into the icy depths of the pool, Lara could only go one way as she swam deeper to the lowest point. Following the route underwater it seemed to be an endless series of twists and turns, and after a minute with no notable sign of an exit at this stage she was starting to panic about drowning and hypothermia. Determined not to give up and let go, she pressed on through the frustration to find the end or at the very least an air pocket somewhere to avoid asphyxiation that may inevitably lead to her untimely death. Although the tiredness and heavy strain almost wholly took over, to her delight Lara saw an illuminous glow at the end of the underground channel which hopefully signalled the finishing line to her challenging trauma.

'Aha at last precious air!' Lara coughed out some of the water she unintentionally gulped and after gratefully breathed in as soon as she hit the surface. Eventually, she managed to pull herself out of the freezing water to then gave herself a bit of time to recompose after the toll the two unpredictable events had taken. It didn't help and all she felt was a mixture of desolation, tiredness, and coldness. As well her mind was constantly repeating back to the menacing laugh earlier like a continuous loop.

'Why did I let him back into my life?' Lara's whole body shivered in torment as she regrettably thought about the grave mistake of allowing Christian to entice her into the adventure that had now abruptly ended in betrayal. It was unknown how much time had passed until her grief and negative emotions had been put to one side and she decided to hold onto the hope to see her loving husband and friends back in reality. But first, she needed to escape from this realm that she was still stuck in. Looking around the environment may have changed yet unfortunately the temperature did not. Lara now found herself in a dark forest and there was certainly a spooky ambiance about it.

A cobalt moon shone from the starry night above, supplying enough light to make out a path between the many trees that loomed over. Shrouds of cloudy mist had covered the ground along with the view farther onwards making it difficult to see clearly, but that wasn't going to stop Lara navigating her way forward as she took her first few steps into uncharted territory. Out of the blue a piercing scream beyond the woodland caused her heart to skip a beat as soon as she heard it that forced her to pause in her tracks. Agitated, the archaeologist looked all around her location whilst wondering what was going on but unsurprisingly her current setting hadn't changed. Cautiously she carried on with her trail through the gloomy scenery, all the while feeling a cold sweat creeping on her body as she journeyed through the undergrowth. The passage she took led her to a more open field where the vegetation was further dispersed, and the visibility of the area was clearer. Nonetheless, it was there that she noticed she was not alone.

A pack of jackals were prowling around the perimeter, and by chance they had not taken notice of the new arrival as a few were busy feasting away on a caught carcass while others wandered astray. But these were not any normal jackals as Lara witnessed and remembered the displeasure of encountering the likes of them before in buried tombs during her previous adventures. These had glowing bloodshot red eyes with intricate golden decorations upon their bodies, and it was plain to see that they were not going to be friendly. Keeping herself steady and not wanting to interrupt the activities of the hounds, Lara crouched and did her best to move stealthily pass the group without being seen or heard, but as she concentrated too much watching them a stray twig had snapped beneath her boot. Through gritted teeth she noticed that the closest jackal ear had twitched in reaction to the noise, a sign to say it was too late for her to avoid what was about to follow.

'Oh great, they have spotted me. This is going to be fun!' A daunting thought raced in Lara's mind, as one of the jackals howled to the sight of her and to alert the pack by rallying their attention at the new encounter. Ever thirsty for the hunt, they all gave chase at their new target. Unarmed, all Lara could do was make a run for it without any inkling if the direction she was heading in was going to lead her to a safe haven. Darting through the harsh enclosed shrubbery and various sharp nettles that swiped at all angles upon her person along with the hungry jackals not far behind at her tail barking away, Lara could again feel the pain and exhaustion of the whole ordeal testing her mettle. Pacing herself, she ran as fast as she could with the constant mindset that she was not going to let her canine pursuers the pleasure of catching her for their game. Lara's vision had started to go blurry from the rush of the affair until unexpectedly she came across the cliff edge and in the nick of time only just managed to halt herself.

'Woah! That was a close call. Hang on if I do a running jump, I think can just about make it to that ledge on the other side…' She summed up glancing at the abyss and opposite end. She could then hear the violent rustling of the leaves right behind meaning her oncoming pursuit were mere seconds away.

'Well, no time like the present. Fingers crossed this is going to work!' Lara took a couple of steps back and made her attempt at the leap. Not looking down, she successfully grabbed the ledge with both hands and slowly pulled herself up with a little grunt. The adventurer turned to face the hounds as they froze like statues witnessing what had just unfolded, and she further teased them by smiling at them and cheekily performed an air kiss to the pack adding that cherry on top to their dismay. In return the jackals aggressively barked at her, but knowing there was nothing else they can do without risking their lives for their prey they begrudgingly abandoned the hunt and retreated into the forest.

'Please say it's the exit out of here next!' The tomb raider wished and speculated as strangely ahead was a wall of dark smoke covering up the next destination. With nowhere else to go Lara walked through the shroud of darkness and at once heard otherworldly whispers and chanting which instantly spooked her. She seemingly had stepped into the entrance of a great castle hall as evidenced with the architecture style and the lit lanterns upon the pillars providing minimal light to the dark atmosphere. Robed beings were dotted around the place, and these were the ones who were speaking in a peculiar language that Lara did not recognise.

A mysterious individual in a velvet hooded cloak stood out from afar in the middle of the chanters on an elegant carpet and began to speak to her directly.

"Come to me my child…" That recognisable accent from Lara's past immediately sent shockwaves down her spine. Could it be really him…

"Werner?" She called out to her old mentor like a long-lost friend though there was no response. Flabbergasted, she began to walk towards the centre though her legs felt they were being weighed down by a heavy object from this revelation.

"Where am I and why am I here?" Lara asked next and this time around she got an answer from a different male voice that echoed throughout the medieval place, but puzzlingly it came from the same direction.

"You are dead to the world. You were left to rot and die with that lethal wound, but mercifully for you I saved you by pulling you into my domain. I must say you have a strong resolve to live, it is fascinating to observe!" The eerie voice gleefully said. As Lara got close to the figure, she could see that they were wearing a mask similar to the ones she had examined in the narrow tunnel just before she got interrupted by the boulder trap.

"Who or what are you?" Lara raised her eyebrow as she now stood face to face with the unidentified entity.

"In the time I have existed I have been called many names, but one that has stuck throughout the ages is Numbra. Some may call me an alchemist or others may call me some sort of experimentalist if you will. Ultimately, I desire to give hope for an ordered world and in a way to save it from the spiral of death that forever surrounds us by any means necessary. As long as humanity exists, so will I." Numbra stated as his tone interestingly changed to a sharp defiant one as he said that last part. Inquisitive and deep in thought, Lara began to ask her questions to this strange being.

"Sounds like you're seeking the power of immortality, interesting… I must ask though what was all that about back there with those obstacles if you could call them that!?" Lara inquired with some sternness in her voice after going through all that tribulation, but Numbra kept his stance and didn't even flinch.

"They were merely a test to see what you were capable of and if your spirit would break, but here you stand before me having succeeded. Your reward is another chance in life, but I do have a request and our time is short."

"Very generous of you, what do you want?"

"Do you fear death Lara?" Numbra asked. Perplexed, Lara was in a conundrum about the matter. On the one hand she had always strived to make most of the time given and living life to the fullest, but on the other side to the argument there was still so much to discover in the world and if she did have the power of immortality in her grasp time would be no limiting factor and there would be no risk or danger to any given circumstance. A tempting proposition if it were obtainable.

"I'm not sure how to reply to that question to be honest…" She replied not wanting to show her hand right away to the stranger.

"Imagine a world without pain, sorrow, and misery, wouldn't this game we call life be wonderful? The artefact that you found along with your companion in the tomb of my old friend is a set piece designed to be part of a special relic that is the key to what I envision for this world. This dream is for you and all living beings, but we all will have to make a sacrifice for it. Do not misjudge me for I am not an enemy nor do not believe the side of the story that you had read on that obelisk as it does not tell the full story and what I did at that time was for the greater good. Too long have I lingered in the shadows and waited for the right time and that time is now." Numbra explained. Lara in that moment didn't know what to believe or how to respond to what was said. She took a moment for herself to digest what had been said by this enigmatic being before asking her next query.

"What is the price to pay if that truly is your vision?"

"It will be small price to pay but you will find out soon enough. You have a strong will against incredible odds as you have proven in the trial, and I can foresee you being a great partner at my side. All I ask of you using the second chance I have given you is to hunt down and get revenge on the one who gravely hurt you."

"Christian…"

"Yes, take back what he stole from you and kill him. Do not hold back. Let your anger and rage that I sense in you be your guide in your endeavour. He will be making his way back to the archaeological dig in Japan. I strongly advise for you to really give yourself to my vision, it would be a wise decision…" Numbra confidently said. But before Lara could reply with her answer, she felt a strange force circling around her body like a whirlwind as all the lights around went out in a flash and the low chanting had stopped.

"What's going on!?" She frantically asked her host who she could not see anymore.

"You are beginning to wake up. We shall meet again!" Those were Numbra's final words to her and like a vacuum Lara was forcefully pulled away from where she previously stood and went straight into darkness once again. She didn't know where she had been or how long she had been there.

"Wake up Lara!" The sound of Kurtis's voice resonated with her as she gradually regained her senses. Although there was one thing she felt strongly about on her mind as she awoke.

"I'm going to kill Christian!" She furiously declared.