Alex had long stopped walking.
Consumed by despair, he sat on the cold ground of the dark tunnel, his back against the rough walls and his head in his hands, his figure was shrouded by absolute darkness.
Why was he like this you ask?
It's simple.
He was in despair.
Despair is described as the absence of hope. It is the pinnacle of all negative emotion and is known widely to appear in humans who die with regrets.
Despair is the only emotion that is truly attributed to negativity; anger can be used to get stronger, sadness can lead to happiness, jealously can cause people to improve, greed can force people to become wealthy and hate can drive one to protect those they love but when one falls into despair they are doomed to the abyss of the mind.
Right now, Alex was in that abominable state.
If one listened closely to him, they'd hear him muttering the words.
"Am fucked."
He cursed ceaselessly, his mouth running dry due to his lack of water. His hunger which had been satiated hours ago was now gnawing at him from the depths. The darkness that hampered his ability to see was pushing him to the brink. His body which had been held together by Resistance was now aching with pain but that wasn't even the worst of it.
The worst of all, was the dark tunnel itself.
The tunnel which was terrifying when Alex first stepped into, slowly turned into a macabre source of terror when Alex realized it's true nature.
The dark tunnel was infinite.
Or, rather...it was extremely long.
Alex had walked for a really long time, so long he had lost count of how many steps he had taken.
Yet nothing had changed from how it was at the start.
It was like he was transversing an endless chasm.
Back in the real world, Alex had read several novels about protagonists who get trapped in tunnels or loops, he found situations like that thrilling and interesting but he never expected to be thrust into a situation so similar.
It was simply too horrifying.
If someone could see through the impenetrable veil of the eerie darkness, then they'd see his hollow eyes which seemed to be devoid of a crucial light.
The light of life.
Alex really couldn't care less of what happened now, whether a monster showed up or not, he didn't care.
He was going to die either way.
If the tunnel didn't kill him, then his hunger will.
If his hunger didn't kill him, then his thirst will.
If his thirst didn't kill him, then his mind will.
"Ha...ha...ha...", Alex panted slowly before swallowing his saliva. His thirst was starting to encroach his mind.
"Am fu..."
Before Alex could finish, he saw from the corner of his eye, a glint.
Being in a panicked state, his head snapped quickly to the source and at the end...
He saw vividly amidst the darkness, the pale glow of Silver Lining.
He stared at it for a long time.
The longer he stared, the more the uchigatana glowed in silence.
Alex raised it above his head and then looked at the blade. On it, was his haggard reflection.
Sunken eyes, chapped lips, disheveled hair, slightly pale skin and a crazed expression could be seen on the blade.
"Is... that...me?"
Alex seemed bewildered at his reflection; how could he change so much in such a short time.
He looked down, away from it and dropped the sword to the ground with a loud clatter.
CLATTER!
The sound echoed through the tunnel, and disappeared almost immediately.
Alex remained on the ground, unmoving. His eyes seemed to flicker.
What was going through his mind now?
...
What am I doing?
Why am I down like this?
Didn't I say I wouldn't lose to Untethered?
So why am I down here?
Despite my thoughts, I remained fixated on the spot, unwilling to move.
I was seemingly spent so why should I move?
I was hungry, thirsty and hurting all over, so why should I stand up?
Besides, even if I stood up and kept walking, what does it matter?
There's no way out of here.
I rustled my hair and panted more, swallowing more and more of my saliva to keep the feeling of thirst at bay.
"What...am...I... going to do?", I muttered quietly in a panicked tone.
Minutes passed in silence, leaving me in a state of cold dread.
As I continued to curse my situation, I heard a voice.
"Alex."
It was a soft and tender voice, a voice that had edged me on since I was a child. A voice that filled me with hope.
A voice filled motherly love.
Memories of a woman flashed through my eyes bringing tears to my eyes.
I raised my head with teary eyes and in a sad voice I spoke, "Mom?"
My voice was dry and grating but a simmer of hope was within it.
"Alex...please don't give up.", the voice spoke once more.
I heard the fleeting voice disappear into the abysmal darkness, leaving me alone once again.
Tears began to roll down my eyes as I yearned for the voice's solace but I didn't cry...
Because in that moment, something surged within me.
I clenched my chest as I felt my heart pounding harder. My breathing began to quicken and my eyes widened. I felt my dry throat ache as I breathed and my abdomen hurt as I wheezed.
I raised my head up and then stared into the darkness.
A light began sparking in my eyes once again...
But it wasn't the usual light of life that dwelled in the eyes of normal people.
No.
It was a dark and dangerous light.
A light that devoured everything; my pain and despair.
I clenched my teeth and widened my eyes, revealing the bloodshot pair.
Suddenly, I rose to my feet and then picked up Silver Lining.
A light flickered in my eyes as I stared forward, the sword in my hand seemed to invigorate my newfound strength.
It seems I had forgotten my true will...my core 'why'...
What was it?
It was simple...
"I don't want to be like anyone else."
I said with conviction.
I won't lose again.
I thought that but then stopped.
No. That's impossible...this will definitely happen again...and again...
What I need is to get destroyed then rebuild myself again...rebuild myself into...
A version of me that wouldn't break in this situation again!
A flame ignited in my heart as I got to my feet.
"One more step...", I muttered.
I raised my feet...
And then brought it down.
But, it hit nothing.
"Huh?"
I blurted out in bewilderment but before I knew it.
"Woah!"
I fell.