xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxᴛʜᴇ sᴏғᴛ ᴇᴄʜᴏ
sᴛᴀʀᴛ ғɪɴɪsʜ
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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ
xx ᴛᴇʟʟ ʜɪᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ.
✓ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʜɪᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ.
"A Human." Deika tries to hold back any judgement, still hopeful that he will be able to make you change your mind about trusting
him later.
Though he clearly wants to build a friendship with you, he remains quiet and keeps his body language as neutral as possible.
"Listen" he looks away a little, "you need to be quiet here. There are monsters. Most of them don't seem to know anyone
is here, but sound travels far in these hallways. Without something to defend yourself, they'll probably tear you apart."
Deika looks back towards you, concerned, "There's a storeroom further ahead, which might have some weapons --"
Deika suddenly stops. The ambient light hitting his face is disturbed by a shadow from further down the hallway, and
his body language suddenly turns rigid.
"Shh!!" he quickly pushes you at the shoulders with both hands, forcing you out of the light of the hallway, so that your back quickly
hits the wall behind you. He remains frozen still, realising he's probably given away his position very clearly to whatever is nearby.
"HrrRRRR..." A low, powerful growl radiates from the end of the hallway. Deika turns towards the entity casting the shadow,
before realising he's been spotted.
"HrrRRRRRRSS!!!" The growl erupts into a fierce roar, signaling intense alert, and the creature begins charging down
the hallway.
"Oh, s**t." Deika spills his reaction, before turning back to you. He looks at you with intensity and shock, unsure if you've also been
noticed, then finds himself having to make a hard decision.
The creature speeds through the hallway, making its way towards Deika, grunting and exhaling vigorously. Its feet slap against the
floor well enough to advertise its weighty frame, and Deika suddenly turns towards it and runs to the nearby intersection. Then, as if
baiting the creature to get closer to him, he pauses. Finally, as the creature nears him, he takes a left and runs away, giving an
intentional scream, demanding its attention.
"HYEERRRRRSS!!" the creature squeals, skidding to one side as it turns at the intersection, before slamming its hooves on the
floor and rocketing after Deika.
It is only a few moments before the sounds coming from Deika and his pursuer fade completely, disappearing into the
labyrinth.
...
With no further movement or sound hitting your notice, you decide to move off the wall, and peer down the hallway. There's no sign
of any danger, and you're set upon by the thought that the stranger you decided not to trust may have just thrown their life away to
save you.
You are relieved, but, guilt creeps over the back of your mind for a moment.
...
Weapons, you remember Deika had said, in a storeroom further ahead.
While you didn't get a look at the creature, you could tell from the sounds it made that it could quite easily tear your body in half if it
wanted to. And one word that Deika had said only made it worse; he said monsters, plural, meaning there were more.
If you don't get hold of a weapon soon, you're sure to be left defenseless when the creatures find you next.
Despite what had just occurred, you focus on the goal of finding weapons to defend yourself with, and decide you have to move.
► ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ.
