Chapter 1.3 – Third attempt
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"I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous, we can't risk it anymore.
But don't worry, we found a way to end it. This will be the last time.
Goodbye."
Someone says in a solemn, almost sad voice, as you hear a door close and lock.

Still groggy, you wake up, look around.
You're still in a perfectly cubic room.
The walls are still white and the air is still cold.
Not to mention the grim-looking metal door.

But the air isn't charged anymore, nor can you taste iron.
And you're calm again. Better keep it that way.
Suddenly, the air feels weird again, charged.
You taste iron once more. But this time, you stop and think.

Sure, this is a fortified room, and you're probably damned,
but it wouldn't hurt to at least look around.
That door does have a grate, after all,
and it's not like they're just going to kill you, right?

  1. >Examine the door more closely.<
  2. Wait and see.

You creep closer to the door, still wary of the whole situation.
Your room was dark, but outside it's even darker,
you can't see a thing other than a wall.
Your options don't seem to be many.

A bit later, however, you start to hear something.
A murmur, a low and constant humming...
Once more you wonder, is someone singing?
Not able to quite place where it's coming from, you listen for a while.

The rather lamentful tone, almost shy in its quietness,
even though there is still a slight eagerness to it.
At times quivering, gaining some life, just to calm again afterwards.
How could you forget?

Lost in those melancholic tones, you almost notice a change,
but an angry voice yells in the distance, taking you out of your torpor:
"Come on, I need it! I'm almost starving here!
I don't care, I'll do anything, just give me some blood!"

You shiver, the declaration evoking a strong image on your mind,
an image the iron taste in your mouth won't allow you to dispel.
Yet... Anything, they said? Maybe anything is exactly what you need right now.
That solitary tune, however, should obviously be left like that, alone.

  1. Yell "HELP!"
  2. >Yell "I'll give you my blood!"<
  3. Sing along with the soft voice
  4. Wait and see.

Figuring you've got nothing to lose, you yell:
"You said anything? I'll give you my blood!
Just don't go back on your word!"
For a second, there is silence.

You think you hear someone licking their lips...
The next, BLAM! reminds you suspiciously of metal being thrown...
Then, pata, pata, pata, quick and light footsteps approach
and a bad feeling makes you move away from the door.

Good thing you did because next thing you know,
another BLAM! and you realize that was a metal door flying...
You tremble, thinking of what monstrosity you promised your blood to,
watching the door in silent horror as a small silhouette crosses it.

The first thing you see is a smile, shining white teeth making you feel like Alice.
Then a small body, limbs so thin you wonder how they hold the rest.
Dark grey skin, covered by a bunch of rags that would invoke pity,
if only those deep dark red eyes didn't look so crazed.

"Finally! I swear I almost died this time!"
The thing says, and jumps at you.
You try to escape, but those thin limbs have a grip of steel.
"Time to eat!", it merely states, and you once more close your eyes...

...
...
...
...

"Whew, I really needed that! Hey, you fine?"
After a while, you open your eyes again, confused.
"Aren't you going to kill me?" "Of course not, silly.
Why would I kill someone willing to give me blood?"

"Anyway, I took your blood, what do you want me to do now?"
The (nice) creature asks, smiling dumbly.
Wait, you can't keep calling it, well, it, now can you?
"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh, how rude of me! I don't really remember my name,
but they call me Bloody. Because I like blood, you see?"
That's... Well, Bloody seems happy with that name, so that's fine.
"What about you?"

"I am...", you think, think, but nothing comes to mind.
"...Who am I?" you mumble.
"Oh, you forgot yours as well? Don't feel bad, it can happen to anyone!
Why don't we find a new one for you too?"

You consider it for a while. Getting a new name is a tough decision.
Then again, you've got to call yourself something.
"Fine, you can choose a new name for me."
You decide. Something you regret roughly half a minute later.

"Awesome! Let's see, what do I know about you...?
You have no name, and you... You... You..."
Bloody struggles to think of any ideas, but comes empty.
"You have no name! So we'll call you Nona!"

"What? Nona? Because...? No! That is..."
Still way better than Bloody, you've got to admit.
At least it sounds like a proper name, even if the reasoning is...
While you're fighting your internal cringe, the air fills with static.

"Oops, that's our cue to leave. Come on, Nona!"
You start voicing an argument on the importance of proper names,
but Bloody takes your hand and whisks you away.
"You don't want to stay in a death box when it activates, do you?"

You finally leave your solitary confinement,
releasing a breath you never realized you were holding.
The long, dimly lit corridor isn't really great,
but it's still way better than revisiting that metallic white room.

"Okay, not this way. This is where I came from."
Bloody stops at an intersection. The lamentful song cleanly to your left.
Bloody looks there, asking "Should we fetch her? I don't mind either way
but since we're the only ones here, if we leave her she'll go mad."

  1. >"Let's take her with us."<
  2. "Let's leave, right now."

You can empathize with going crazy.
It's not a fate you'd will on anyone.
Besides, the more the merrier,
no reason to refuse potential friends.

Bloody leads you towards the left passage
and with a "YAH!", smashes the door open.
Inside, the humming quivers, but doesn't stop,
soon turning into an inquisitive "hum?"

"We're leaving!", Bloody says,
leading to more questioning hums.
Noticing this is going nowhere,
you approach the little songstress.

"Hi, I'm Nona. Would you come with us?"
you smile and ask. "hmmm...", she considers,
then trails to a curious "hmm...?"
that seems to contain a bit of distrust.

"If we leave, who will hear you sing?"
Bloody's statement has quite an effect,
as she immediately goes "hum?!",
jumping to her feet.

"Well, I guess you're coming with us.
Welcome to the team... What's your name, again?"
"hmmmm..." she makes a troubled face,
seemingly at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Bloody comes to the rescue.
"Oh, she can't speak, she can only sing."
Then, Bloody's eyes sparkle "Wait, do we need more names?
Oh! Oh! I know! Let's call her..."

"No! We're not calling her something stupid!"
You angrily retort. "She deserves better.
What do you think about... Lyra?"
"hmm... uhum!", she seems to agree.

"Hey, that's still an obvious name!" "hmm..."
"Did you have anything better?" "huum!"
"But of course, I'd name her Hummer!" "uhmmm..."
Good thing you put a stop to that.

After arguing for a while, you decide to go on.
Lyra seems somewhat happier,
with something of a skip to her step
and once again at the interception, you take another left.

"And finally, we arrive at our destination!
I've never crossed this door, this is truly uncharted territory!"
You gulp, feeling danger is imminent once more,
then ask Bloody to open the door for you.

The first thing you notice is you didn't hear the door hit the wall.
You enter the pitch black room, wondering if it's empty,
but once your eyes adjust to the darkness,
you marvel at its true appearance:

It's like you're surrounded by a starry sky.
There is no floor, no ceiling, no walls.
Just the door ahead, the path you came from,
and a multitude of celestial bodies.

For a while, you're filled with childlike wonder.
Everything just seems right, why where you ever worried?
You could be floating for all you care,
and maybe you could even touch the stars?

  1. Jump, and fly away
  2. >Touch the stars<
  3. Focus and go ahead

This sky fills you with such wonder
that you can't help but reach for the stars.
As you move towards it, however,
you misstep and find yourself floating towards...

Floating towards the stars, somehow.
You look back to see Bloody desperately trying (and failing) to reach you,
while Lyra seems terribly conflicted about whether to follow you two.
Eventually both are too far to see, same with the doors in and out.

Like this, you stay for longer than you'd expected.
Even though it's supposed to be space,
the air is breathable, so you last long.
What mercifully gets you is hunger.

Not that you notice.
The stars' mesmerizing effect keeps working till the end.
Eventually you become weak and sleepy, and once darkness comes,
you dream a dream filled with stars.

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