By my twentieth reset- going through an unending cycle of agony, pain, frustration, despair even. I seemed to have grown taller, my misty blue eyes had turned sharper. My eyes had become icy cold, and my gaunt body had boldened up a little.
This was my third shot at this. And yet I still couldn't get through it.
Exhaling sharply, I took in a deep breath before dashing forth.
I made a fast sprint to the left, and then, I felt a cold piercing wind from my left.
I ducked almost immediately.
A sharp icy dark spear suddenly shot past me, scraping past my long hair as it drilled itself into the eerie dark wall.
The endless darkness spread far and wide, yet I could still see.
Albeit barely, it was more than enough.
I took another step forward, like a seasoned warrior, each movement precise and deliberate. I found my way through the spiraling spears.
My eyes narrowed slightly, a cold pressure overwhelming me from all sides. I immediately rolled to the right, heaving a sigh of relief as multiple spears shot from beneath my previous spot.
Piercing through the air with a cold terrifying vigor which I didn't doubt would rip me apart in a single breath.
Glancing ahead of me, I could see the door before me.
The eerie dark door beaconing for me to head its way.
But to get there, I had to get past this whirlwind of icy spears.
Taking a deep breath. I suddenly dashed forth, shards of stones hurtling into the space behind me. My body moved with practiced precision, twisting and turning, I dodged the spears- the cold shafts of death, headed my way.
I knew I couldn't afford to get hit. One hit and it was all over. And even if I somehow miraculously managed to survive. There was still that damn supernatural creature. Always drawn towards the scent of blood. This, I had found out about the hard way. And I definitely don't plan on encountering it again.
With clenched hands and hardened resolve, i dove forward. Running with every ounce of strength contained within me.
Two spiralling spears suddenly surged from both sides of the wall.
My heart surged to my throat, my eyes shrinking in shock, fear even.
The cold grip of fear tightened around me.
Yet i was quick to regain my calm. Smashing my legs against the ground. I propelled myself forward, rolling on the cobblestones beneath me.
I tumbled hard and fast while groaning in pain.
Pain tore through my flesh, agony rippling through my skin as my body smashed and rammed onto the hardened cobblestone beneath me.
I soon forced myself to come to a stop.
Panting heavily.
I could see the door in sight.
I was just a few feet away from it.
I knew this was the moment of truth. The moment that would decide it all. I had to be extremely careful here.
For one cut was all it takes to be sent into the cold, and warm embrace of death.
Remembering my encounters with that cold an eerie strange warmth. I couldn't help but shiver instinctively.
A chilling cold wind ran down my spine, dread settling within me. My eyes even flashed with fear, and dread for a second there.
Yet I gritted my teeth, and with clenched hands, I forced down the unease settling within me.
...I knew i wasn't attacked since i was in some sort of blue zone of the spears area of attack.
But I knew the moment I took one more step.
Hurricanes.
Whirlwinds of cold, sharp spears would head my way.
Exhaling sharply.
I got to my feet, my legs trembling ever so slightly.
I could still vividly remember my encounters with the strange and horrifying supernatural creature.
It had literally ate me alive.
It ate me to the very core of my being.
From my flesh to my organs, liver, tendons, to chumping on my heart.
...Nothing was spared!
And as if to make matters worse, I had somehow managed to live to watch it all happen.
...Agony!
Pain unlike I had ever gone through had rippled through me.
Blood stained tears had streaked down the corner of my eyes and I had screamed my lungs out.
But to no avail.
No one was coming to safe me. No one would. In this cold world of desolation and endless darkness, I soon came to know that, I only had myself.
And the earlier I accepted that, the better it's for me.
A flash of resolution swept through my eyes, and my mind ran into a frantic pace.
Various refined thoughts hitting against the walls of my mind.
Hitting fast and hard, brutal and unforgiving even.
...I knew I had just ten seconds.
Ten precious seconds to cross the remaining distance without getting hit. But with such a distance between me and the door.
It seemed almost impossible to accomplish, especially considering the fact that I have to complete this without any scratch whatsoever.
...I can do this.
Dean. You can do this.
At this point, I could only try to encourage myself.
The words echoed in my mind, a mantra against the creeping despair. I felt a strange warmth coursing through me, and with hardened resolve, I bolted forth.
Moving through the dozens of spears as each only barely scraped past my tattered cloth, each one just a breath away from sending me to the cold icy depths of hell.
One scraped past my cheek, almost leaving that cold, bloody stain on it.
I had almost yelled in shock, knowing of the consequences.
But luckily, I hadn't sustained any injury.
And then...I had quickly brushed it off, focusing on the task at hand.
I dashed to the left, a long eerie dark spear piercing through my previous spot.
Hitting the cobblestone beneath my previous position, it sent shards of cobblestones into the air. My eyes flashed for a second there.
And then, making use of such a golden opportunity.
I had made a run for it.
The shards of cobblestones had blocked some of the spears and I had made great use of them by running along their line of path.
Although it seemed easy to do. It was nothing but easy.
I had to calculate the precise time, energy, strength, the power propelling the shards, how fast it was moving and so much more.
After going through various unending cycle of torments, agony, pain, frustration, to the endless despair.
My mind seemed to have grown. It had acclimated and adapted to its surrounding.
...It wasn't easy, but here I am.
An example of what this harsh, and cruel environment could turn one into. I easily moved through the seemingly endless spears, the endless darkness reinforcing the cold dread that settled in my bones.
...The cold winds gnawing at my bones.
Moving through the spears, I pushed my body beyond its limit.
Blood rushed to my head, and my vision blurred, but I kept going.
I had to.
The spears, like harbringers of death, grew more erratic, coming from all directions now. By now, I had learnt to expect the unexpected - the resets had taught me this.
Even so, when four spears came at me from all sides, my heart nearly stopped!
In that split second, I realized a fact: the resets never align perfectly.
There will always be some minor, inconsequential change that could turn up for the greater good or into something far worse than I could ever bare to imagine.
Of course, I knew this, but had simply struggled to accept it.
I didn't want to.
This was the only advantage I had against the various supernatural creatures and forces that lurk within the depths of this cursed land.
So why should I throw it away?
Why should I cap it down?
...Why is life so unfair?
I had screamed.
Yelled, and cried even.
Yet I soon realized that was the cold, harsh truth of the reality I had found myself in.
And I knew I had no choice but to accept it.
Who am i to go against it?
With a bitter resignation, I forced my body beyond its limit. And with a desperate shout, i threw myself forward, my legs burning as they smashed into the stone, sending shockwaves through my body.
The force propelled me into the air, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips as the various cold, and frosty spears whizzed past my previous spot, barely missing me as they crashed into the ground with explosive force. Shards of cobblestones and icy sparks hurtling across the dark space.
I tumbled forward, crashing onto the ground with a loud thud, as my body slammed and crashed before smashing right into a door.
Finally coming to a stop.
My body convulsed with pain as I hit the door. My eyes grew dizzy, and my arms f-elt weak.
I tried to say something, at least gasp for air or something, but I could do nothing.
Despair soon crept in, dread settling into my bones.
The cold, almost familiar cold grasp of death slowly inched closer and closer.
The endless darkness slowly crept into my subconsciousness. Yet amidst the endless sense of despair, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
I did it.
I succeeded.
I completed the trial.
I don't know what the future has got in store for me. But for now, I knew every achievement, each single victory must be cherished, else I would eventually fall into an abyss of unending despair and desperation.
...The darkness finally overwhelmed my mind completely as the world around me turned into a blur.
There and then, the endless darkness swallowed me whole!