My Unrestrained Lives

There were a lot of unanswered questions, and Ellis couldn't shake the feeling that his fate had already been sealed, as even if he somehow managed to come out of this gate alive, he would still need to worry about his life under the looming shadow of the Twilight Codex System.

Still, he knew it was too late for regrets, he had already made an irreversible decision.

Instead of dwelling on things he couldn't change, Ellis focused on what mattered most now: survival.

All he could do was hope that the gray light at the end of this path would offer some sort of solution, if it was really as he thought, and the Twilight Codex was truly after him.

He could only hope that there would be a way out for himself there and that the gamble he had taken would succeed.

With these thoughts in mind, Ellis resumed walking.

He walked and walked, not bothering about the time, sleep, or anything else, as he had before.

Yet, even as the gray light drew closer, it still felt maddeningly out of reach.

He looked down at his palm, at the remnants of the magic stones. The one from the mutated zombie was gone, likely disintegrated entirely, leaving only the one from the cat. Then, he glanced at his skin, now marked with black spots, where the surface seemed dry and lifeless, as though it were dying.

He felt thankful, that he at least thought of this problem, and raised his vitality. Otherwise, his body would have not been able to wistand… this.

With his tired and pained body, Ellis let out a self-deprecating smile and continued forward.

It was after what felt like an eternity,with him unable grasp the exact time, that Ellis began to feel an unbearable strain. It wasn't just the pain from his peeling, cracking skin, or his body that seemed to be reaching its limit, on the verge of disintegrating either.

But from the thirst, from his throat, so dry and parched, that would cause fits of coughing and made even breathing difficult. His eyelids too that felt unbearably heavy, as if they were on the verge of closing for good.

Had it not been for the searing pain, that was making it hard for him to rest, Ellis was certain he would have already collapsed, sprawled helplessly on the ground.

It was during this time of torment that he felt the negative thoughts, those he had been desperately pushing away, begin to creep in, threatening to consume him entirely.

'Was there really a need to enter this gate?'

'Was he actually reckless and entered too hurriedly?'

'Was it really right to be impulsive, when safety and power were at least guaranteed outside with hard work?'

Questions like these, doubts gnawing at the core of his decision, flooded Ellis's mind. His thoughts spiraled, teetering on the edge of breaking.

No… perhaps his mind had already broke, as he felt himself slipping further into the madness that clawed at him.

Was it the work of the gray gate, that his mind was becoming like this? Or was he just that fickle?

Was he truly someone incapable of sticking to his decisions, breaking the moment he was confronted with all kinds of odds?

Along with the doubt came frustration… frustration at himself for even entertaining these thoughts. And Ellis clenched onto that frustration, forcing it into something sharper, something stronger; his resolve. He made it his drive as he pressed forward.

No, instead of walking, it was more accurate to say he was dragging his legs, each step a battle against his failing body.

After what felt like a long time passed again, when even thinking had become a struggle for Ellis, the gray light finally seemed within his reach. The journey was truly, at last, coming to an end.

Ellis glanced at his right hand, clutching the golden crystal, which had also started to disintegrate. Yet, in its disintegration, it emitted a cool, soothing sensation, helping him push through the oppressive pressure emanating from the gray light ahead.

In that moment, he felt a flicker of gratitude… gratitude for himself and the decision he made to not spare that monster cat.

With the golden crystal, the only thing retaining color in this now gray world, clutched tightly in his hand, Ellis pressed on. He challenged everything: his body, his will, and this oppressive gray world that seemed determined to stop him.

Then, as the remaining distance dwindled to no more than a hundred meters, it became almost impossible to keep moving. Ellis felt his body that no longer have any skin left on it, just rotting flesh barely clinging to him. And his only relief came from the cold, soothing touch of the golden crystal once again, which allowed him to endure the overwhelming pain and labored breathing.

Still, he forced himself to take one step after another, refusing to yield.

He continued walking, struggling to endure the pain and everything else weighing him down. Finally, when he was just a dozen or so steps away, his body gave out. Standing was no longer possible, and he collapsed to the ground.

Blood poured from his mouth as he coughed heavily, each breath a battle. Even opening his eyes had become an impossible task, as he had been walking on sheer instinct alone.

With no other option, Ellis turned his focus to the golden crystal, the only thing that had offered him any relief throughout this agonizing journey.

He summoned his courage, and finding no other way, brought the golden crystal to his blistered lips. Then, without hesitation, he swallowed it.

Almost instantly, he felt a surge of energy welling up in his stomach, spreading rapidly through his battered body. So, ignoring the sharp pain and the unknown risks, Ellis hurriedly tried to stand, desperate to move forward before any complications could arise.

With the sudden surge of energy, Ellis finally arrived at the gray light. Mustering great effort to open his eyes, he was surprised to find the identity of the light was just a gray shard, possibly part of a crystal or some kind of stone. He couldn't be sure. However, as he began to feel immense pain coursing through his body, likely from the crystal he had swallowed, he hurriedly extended his hand, now little more than bone with some flesh clinging to it, toward the shard.

As his hand touched it, the already unbearable gray light intensified, growing brighter and more blinding. Then, an instant later, the gray shard began to dissolve in his hand, its radiant light streaming into his body.

Ellis first found his mind going blank, then he felt himself being transported to another space, somewhere dark, completely devoid of light.

He tried to feel his body, but couldn't… he was unable to sense anything.

In this quiet and dark place, where he couldn't tell if he could hear or see anything, and with his sense of touch no longer present, he tried to speak, but even that seemed impossible. And so, he soon realized that all his senses had vanished.

Ellis felt a deep fear as he questioned whether he even had a physical body anymore. Because, it seemed to him as if he was dying, with his very sense of self slipping away, becoming nothingness. Trying to force his mind to think, to grasp at something, proved to be useless, and only made the feeling more intense.

He felt himself dissolving into the surroundings, his thoughts growing still, until, in the end… there remained nothing.