Even after the two mysterious people had left, I stayed in hiding until Systalia looked at me in confusion, urging me to join her. It's true; I didn't have to fear my surroundings for now. I took my first steps out of the hiding place with apprehension... and nothing. It was stupid to be afraid, and I knew it, but I couldn't help it.

 

Nevertheless, the reason for my fear puzzled me. I had a fear whose origin I didn't understand. My instincts told me they were dangerous and had to be eliminated by any means necessary. Fortunately, I didn't listen to my instincts this time because involving two people of unknown strength in a fight could only have a tragic outcome.

 

I looked at my sister for an answer on what to do next and said: "Can we get into town without any problems, or will there be some... unfortunate complications? If so, do you know how to remedy the situation?"

 

She thought for a moment, then smiled, before finally declaring: "Yes, it's true that the city is a rather dangerous place for us. But I've got a plan! First, we'll have to put on some clothes..."

 

She scanned her surroundings with a pained expression, then continued: "That's what I'd have liked to say, but we'll have to make do with vulgar scraps of cloth... let's at least try to find some that aren't soaked in a toxic substance. I wouldn't want to die by the hand of a piece of cloth! After that, we can only try to spot people from a distance and hide. After all, we don't know the dreaded people here and are exhausted from our walk. Finally, we should find a safe place to relax and defend her. I think that's what we should do for the next few days."

 

I had no objection to what he was saying and nodded in agreement. So we spent the next two days looking for something to wear. It took a long time to look for a simple cloth to cover us. When I finally found some, I thought it was a mirage, so hopeless had I become in the meantime.

 

Most objects here were made of metal, glass, crystal, or unknown alloys. Moreover, the rare fabrics had too many holes in them, affected by the corrosion of some deadly substance at first glance, when the fabric wasn't shining with an unhealthy glow following the absorption of certain chemicals.

 

I had to resign myself to wearing fabrics that smelled of piss, blemishes, blood, various chemicals, and other intense and unidentifiable odors. However, only the scents of the dubious substances permeated the fabric, not the substances themselves.

 

On the other hand, the various stains on the fabric belong to the different odors listed. At least the fabric was in one piece, even if it was covered in dust. All in all, forgetting the stains, the garment tended towards a grayish white. A garment as dull as its surroundings; this simple fact saddened me.

 

Even though I'd rather continue to be naked than wear such a repulsive outfit, I had no choice but to follow Systalia's recommendations. In fact, when she'd mentioned clothes, I'd been deeply distressed, not knowing that I was expected to dress up.

 

However, I didn't share my thoughts with her, nor did I challenge her words, as that would have sounded too strange. The way she put it made me think that dressing up was common sense in this world. For the moment, I had no choice but to learn by observation until I could better understand the implications of these choices and the events around me.

 

I spotted Systalia approaching me, already dressed in fabrics as horrible as my own. So I put on my clothes and joined her, then whispered, "Now I think we can go, even if I don't really want to."

 

She scanned her surroundings before replying, "Yes... We can go. Stay behind me. I'll inspect the upper half of the environment and you the lower half. At the slightest suspicious presence or noise, I'll have to swing my hands behind my back, and you... can pat my back three times with your book. What do you say?"

 

I thought about his words for a second before nodding and immediately setting off in the direction the two people had come from. Was I really safe? I highly doubted it, but I couldn't develop a better plan. And so we began walking towards the town.

 

And what could we say, except that it was still as dull and filthy as before? Okay, I was exaggerating a bit, but the smell of chemicals was diminishing, and the quality of the waste was improving. They still didn't work, but they seemed less and less irretrievable... at least if you could understand their purpose.

 

What was worrying, however, was that blood, putrefied flesh, and bone gradually replaced the noxious products. The further we progressed, the more the atmosphere resembled a wild, ancient graveyard, like the site of a past great battle, minus the weapons.

 

At least some pretty decorations added a light atmosphere to the place... no, that wasn't true. Plants began to appear, indicating less toxic soil; only these presented disturbing, squiggly shapes, giving them a frightening, oppressive feel.

 

We'd gone from a desolate atmosphere to a frightening one. All this to say that I didn't feel reassured in this place. Especially as the air became increasingly dusty, irritating our throats and forcing us to cough. I even thought I was hallucinating for a moment. We had to take frequent breaks to calm the symptoms.

 

What's more, I wondered why we didn't take our tissues here when so many more were on the way. I soon discovered the reason: we had to stop and hide more and more as we went along. The number of suspicious-looking people was increasing, heightening my already heightened anxiety.

 

On the one hand, this was good news – we were heading in the right direction. On the other, I was less and less eager to reach the city. We'd already passed a lot of people and even had a few complications. We'd come close to being discovered, although fortunately, we'd escaped.

 

But how long could this go on? At some point, we'd have to fight one of these people if they turned hostile since it was only a matter of time before we were spotted. And what if there was a fight? What could I do? I had a weak body and no obvious weapon at my disposal.

 

I resigned, realizing that all I had was my Void, but I'd never used it to attack. I could use its energy, but the problem lay in converting it into a weapon. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge of the subject.

 

No weapon, really... Are you sure? The Void whispered this phrase as I tried to concentrate and summon my soul. The sensations were still painful and pleasurable but less so. Was my soul getting used to my Void? It was an intriguing possibility I could explore later.

 

My only desire was to understand what the Void wanted to express. After all, I'd thought my only weapon was the Void, but I'd obviously been wrong. And it was then that I realized I possessed a most mysterious object: a book.

 

My interactions with this book could have been more pleasing. In some unknown way, it had trapped me in a maze of endless corridors and almost killed me in the process. Opening it felt like the intrusion of a foreign entity, making me very uncomfortable.

 

However, I'd be lying if I wasn't intrigued by the contents of this book. The front cover alone was mysterious, containing only one legible word: System. But what was the System? I couldn't figure it out. More importantly, why was it that only this word was understandable on all the symbols on the front cover?

 

Perhaps the book contained the knowledge to fight? As long as I didn't open it, I could imagine whatever I wanted and project my hopes and fears onto it. I refused to admit it, but this book was the object that scared me the most. However, to achieve my goals, I had to begin to overcome this fear and open it...

 

A failure. My own traumas linked to this book were catching up with me, making my heart scream in pain as my hand struggled to open it. My breath became erratic, and my eyes misty. I was absorbed by scenes I thought belonged to the past. However, I was mistaken, for I realized that I had not overcome the feelings of my first present memories.

 

I didn't even notice Systalia approaching me, looking intrigued and beginning to speak softly: "What's the matter? Why are you so distraught? Are you having a panic attack? Does it have anything to do with this book?"

 

I couldn't let her understand even a hint of my past. I had to calm down as soon as possible. I knew what I had to do. I took a step back from my feelings, my torments, and my negative thoughts.

 

Finally, I managed to dissociate myself from the chains that were weakening my facade. I then turned to Systalia with what I hoped was a neutral expression, even though I suspected she must be a little empty.

 

And I said, in a voice I tried to make sound as natural as possible: "Thanks for your concern, but I'm feeling better now. I've had some bad experiences, but let's not dwell on that. Each of us has our secrets, and we've promised not to question the other's past. Shall we continue our journey?"

 

She looked at me briefly, a puzzled expression on her face, before turning and continuing on her way. She'd brought up the book's subject because we'd previously discussed it. But I'd dodged those questions each time, so she'd naturally stopped talking about it. Nevertheless, she still seemed intrigued by the book and wasn't the only one.

 

We continued our journey, moving ever more slowly as the traffic intensified and the frequency of encounters increased. An aggravating factor was the layout of the rooms, which limited visibility in the surrounding area. Because of this, we couldn't see in all directions. For example, we wouldn't know until the last moment if a door off to the side opened.

 

Moreover, the right-angled turns in the corridors made it difficult to see who was ahead or behind us. Of course, it also depended on the number of bends in a given distance, whether there were bends every meter or every kilometer. Add to that dead ends and stairs that went up or down, among other things.

 

So, the difficulty of the routes varied, although it tended to become more complex as we approached our destination. And hours turned into days and even weeks. We could have made more progress, sometimes even retreating when people continued in our direction.

 

From then on, we walked much more around than towards the city. This was due to the ever-increasing danger of confronting other people, forcing us to advance cautiously. I sensed that every step forward was a step closer to the grave. And to my sorrow, I was right about everything... except the end.

 

A few hours after we'd set off, we'd come across a few people walking in search of some unknown goal. And we were still forced to hide. But we needed to have underestimated the number of people. New people from adjacent rooms joined the group before us, eventually forming a group of twelve.

 

They drew ever closer, increasing my heart rate, breathing, and limbs trembling. We'd soon be spotted at this rate, as we could hardly change hiding places with so many people around. So far, the most people we'd met at one time was four!

 

Triumphing over the stares of four people to sneak off to another location was complicated enough, but this was three times that number! Our chances of confrontation increased by the second, and my intuition told me that contact between our two groups was inevitable.

 

We couldn't get out of our hiding place because the distance between us and them was so small. Their group could then spot us very quickly. On top of this, the architecture of the surrounding rooms and the general arrangement of all the objects in the vicinity could have been more favorable to us if we wanted to leave the hiding place unnoticed.

 

So we decided to look at these people from our hiding hole. I looked at their physical characteristics and then asked my sister what they were.

 

Almost immediately, she looked at me with an expression of shock and disbelief, as she was wont to do, only to inform me that their model was called human. She pointed out that I was also close, although I didn't look quite human. I made a mental note to look at my reflection one day.

 

I'd have liked to continue the conversation, but we needed more time. The humans came so close that they were only a few meters away from us. We were trapped and could only pray for a miracle.

 

Unfortunately, I'm sure no one could change fate, as some of the group looked in the direction of our hiding place and then started talking to each other. I could only swallow and breathe; I was sure they had noticed us.

 

How they knew, I couldn't answer that question at the time, but it was probably due to some low-level magic spell of detection or environmental awareness.

 

Suddenly, they started shouting incomprehensible words in our direction. Well, unintelligible to me, but certainly not to my sister, whose face turned pale and frightened. Although I didn't know what they were saying, I did see that it was a terrible sign for us.

 

Still, I whispered to her quickly: "What did they talk about? Have they noticed us? Do they want to hurt us?

 

No sooner had I said these words than she looked at me briefly with a pained expression before taking my arm and running out of the hiding place. A few seconds later, the pile of hiding places had exploded, leaving the ground slightly charred.

 

It was official; these people were our enemies. Seeing our first interaction with strangers suddenly made me very pessimistic about our future interactions with strangers.

 

We kept running while Systalia said, half out of breath: "They've been looking for us for a few weeks. I don't know exactly what spell they used, although it must have been low-powered and of limited scope. In any case, it's already too late as they've already spotted us. As for their intention... I think they want to apprehend us because they see us as intruders and perhaps use us as slaves. As you can imagine, that's pretty exciting!"

 

She said this last sentence in a way that seemed ironic. Her courage amazed me: she could still think calmly despite the danger. Without her, I'd have been dead in the explosion by now. What's more, she was able to answer my question while observing her surroundings and avoiding all obstacles. If I wanted to survive, I was undoubtedly going to have to learn to control my emotions better or dissociate at will.

 

So, for a few minutes, we ran, pushing the limits of our bodies and minds. But it wasn't enough, and that was only to be expected. We were exhausted from our journey, both physically and mentally.

 

What's more, our bodies had already suffered multiple cuts, bruises, burns, and many other injuries. They were all superficial, but they testified to the weakened state of our bodies.

 

On top of that, the environment put us at a disadvantage, as the multiple doors and corridors connected in every direction gave the larger groups an advantage, allowing them to ambush the smaller groups. And this prediction was short in coming.

 

Finally, we were surrounded and exhausted, the forced interruption of our run signaling the onset of aches and pains that severely restricted our movements. Were we going to die here? I looked at my sister as I thought this, who looked back at me reassuringly. Before turning her head toward the group of humans, she took on a concentrated and determined expression.

 

Systalia then sprinted towards one of the people, who replied by taking a parchment in her hand. It lit up shortly afterward and turned into a ball of fire that headed straight for Systalia. I was terrified, thinking she was going to be burnt to death. But against all odds, she survived without a scratch.

 

Better than that, the fire was deflected and hit another person who had been too unprepared. Needless to say, the person shot was burnt to a crisp. I could feel the hope welling up inside me that maybe we had a chance.

 

Nevertheless, I remembered why I no longer had any hope; it was because hope can only be ephemeral. The next event brilliantly demonstrated to me that hope can never come true.

 

In fact, the eleven remaining people had quickly pulled out scrolls, activating them by some unknown mechanism, and charged almost all their magic onto my sister. Although she could deflect many of these spells, the flow was too great this time, and she was soon unable to prevent the spells from hitting her.

 

An explosion sounded, and I immediately tried to run toward Systalia. But in my haste, I hardly noticed a human coming up behind me. And because of that mistake, I was caught by force. Unfortunately, I could not extricate myself from his embrace; his strength was incomparably superior to mine.

 

The smoke from the explosion slowly dissipated, revealing my sister's charred body. I couldn't bear to watch; I thought I would go mad. It was too much for me, and I could only mourn her apparent death. I knew she wasn't dead yet, as I could still feel her soul through our Void link.

 

The only thought that came to me was how inept I was. I was inept; I hadn't made the best choices and hadn't used my powers to the fullest. The result was that one of us died, and the other was held prisoner in the arms of the enemy. What's more, the one who was more at fault because of her physical weakness and her refusal to confront her trauma was alive.

 

Could I have changed the outcome if I'd opened this book earlier? This question gripped my mind and tormented me. This short moment seemed as interminable as it was appalling. That book occupied all my thoughts, and for the first time, I longed to open it.

 

The human who was trapping me in his arms spoke for a while before looking around and taking a few steps to retrieve the book from the floor. I was stunned; I'd dropped the book in the heat of the moment, and my enemy would pick it up. I had no idea how to get the book away from this human.

 

Fortunately, the book didn't seem to be for everyone because when the human touched it, he started screaming at the top of his lungs, making my eyes water with auditory pain. In confusion, he abruptly let go of me as he staggered back and waved his left hand frantically.

 

When I turned to look at the person, I saw his hand in the grip of two flames: one was a sinister, icy white, while the other was a brilliant, warm black.

 

For a second, I thought I recognized these strange flames, as they reminded me of the energy I had seen in the geometric engravings on the columns of the gate room where I had found Systalia.

 

Despite this resurfacing memory, I had to pull myself together and clutch the book. This uncanny resemblance and the questions it raised were for another time. Because today, I was going to... No, I was hoping to produce a miracle.

 

I looked at the book momentarily, slightly confused by the current situation, before pulling myself together and reaching for it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the other people shouting, angry expressions directed at me, and quickly approaching me.

 

I wasted no time, and in an act of desperation and new-found hope, I opened the book. Unlike the first time, there was no resistance or discomfort when I opened it. The only problem was in the pages: they were all empty, without exception.

 

I immediately concentrated and led the Void of my Soul to one of the book's pages. This was very complicated, as the Void already served as a link between souls. In fact, this operation diverted part of the force needed for this link, weakening it.

 

For the link not to break, the Void had to obtain more energy from my soul, burning and devouring it from the inside. But this pain was nothing if I could resolve this situation if I could get out of this nightmare. Especially as it was the only hope of a madwoman who wanted to fight destiny.

 

So when the Void touched the pages and they began to glow with two contradictory lights, this madwoman was happy. Touched by the grace of the Void, the book had no choice but to carry out the Will of this Void, this soul, this madwoman, my Will.

 

I poured the Void onto this book as much as I could, without worrying about the pain in my soul, about the fatal consequences that would come later. For the moment, only one thing attracted my attention, and that was the death of those humans.

 

The hope that there might be a moment's respite if these humans were to die. And the desire to be able to influence a situation, to no longer be powerless, at the mercy of others and events.

 

Of course, those humans weren't the only cause of my anger; they were just the last straw. Everything that had happened since I regained consciousness in that bloody room had been, at best, neutral and, at worst, traumatic.

 

And these grey landscapes through which I'd passed did nothing to improve my mood; they only reflected my desolation and my inner Void. The scenery magnified my alienation to the extreme.

 

Maybe they didn't deserve it, and perhaps it wasn't fair on them, but they were still the ones who would receive my full wrath. They were my outlet, allowing me to soothe my frustration and torment for a while as long as there weren't enough adverse events piling up.

 

I was so absorbed in my objective that the last thing I saw before passing out was an environment that was both completely black and completely white, entirely silent and entirely noisy.

 

At the same time, an intense, familiar sensation, both comforting and depressing, surfaced in my very essence. I didn't know what this sensation was, what this sight was, or even what was happening to me and the humans during this time.

 

But one thing was sure: I had caught a glimpse of a fragment of my Void for the first time. A part of its Will, a part of my Will, the expression of our Will, and the realization of our similarity.

 

That day, a miracle happened, but as I had predicted, a miracle always comes with a price. Nothing is free in this world, and all debts must be paid. That event was the start of my debts piling up... and the start of my repayments.