Archive of Our Own ^beta

Narrator

You're on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a — I don't know. Something. Uh, town? Let's go with town. In the castle of that town is a Presence—

Voice of the Omen

A 'Presence'?

Narrator

Yeah. I don't know what else you're expecting me to call it. It's there. It's weird. That's a pretty good qualification for 'Presence' I'd think.

Voice of the Omen

We'll that's a bit...mean, don't you think?

Narrator

You haven't even seen the thing. Or let me finish.
In the castle of that town—

Voice of the Omen

It's still just a little bit rude.

Narrator

In the castle of that town is a Presence. You're here to slay her. If you don't, it will be the end of the— Hang on, end of the world? Since when was it the end of the world? That doesn't sound right.

Narrator

Oh, look at that. You don't know what's happening either. We're all doomed. Pack it up, guys.

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry!

Narrator

I bet you are.

Voice of the Omen

...Okay, that hurt a little bit there.

Narrator

I already said we're on a path and there's a thing to kill. I'd rather think that's quite self-explanatory. You know. The one-two stab it and save the world.

Narrator

Then I guess we can throw a beach party in the woods and kick up our feet to celebrate the end of days?

Voice of the Omen

A beach party. In the woods.

Narrator

Yeah. That doesn't sound that bad, does it?

Voice of the Omen

What about the beach part of beach party?

Narrator

Hey. I'm not the one asking 'what if we don't stab the thing ending the world?'. If you want to ask about the end of days beach party take it up with him.

Narrator

Boo. Your loss.

Narrator

I can assure you that it is only mostly extreme.

Voice of the Omen

Should you be saying that?

Narrator

Well it's true. Don't know what you want me to do about that.

Voice of the Omen

I thought you'd be a little bit more...upset about this? The world is ending!

Narrator

I said it will be the end of the world. Not it is the end of the world. Read the lines.

Voice of the Omen

If I say between the lines you're going to mock me again, aren't you.

Narrator

I would never do such a thing.

Voice of the Omen

I think you would.

Narrator

...I probably would, yeah.
World's not ending yet. You have a Presence to slay. Whole world's saved and we get beach parties by the sea. No problems.

Voice of the Omen

You sound very sure.

Narrator

'Cause I am. I'm always sure. I'm the surest there's ever been.

Narrator

Just go slay the thing already.

Narrator

Do you see anyone else around here?

Voice of the Omen

Do we?

Narrator

No.

Voice of the Omen

Oh.

Narrator

Nobody else can. Nobody else is around, actually, which is inconvenient for you but beggars can't be choosers, or something equally ridiculous. I'd also rather someone else did this, actually, but you're the best on short notice.

Voice of the Omen

Are you sure?

Narrator

Ehh. Mostly enough.

Voice of the Omen

...Is that all?

Narrator

It is now.

Voice of the Omen

You can't just say 'it is now' if you had more to say.

Narrator

And I did.

Narrator

Knew you'd understand. Up top.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

Boo.

Narrator

Oh. That easy?
I mean. Yes! That is the good choice. Good job. Bravo.

Voice of the Omen

I suddenly feel a lot less sure about this decision.

Narrator

Loser. It's fine. It is the finest there will ever be a fine.

Voice of the Omen

Rude.

Narrator

And you're stuck with me. Ha.

Narrator

Oh, have you? Weird, but good for you, mate. Great news about your day today.

Voice of the Omen

Seriously? We're just going to — trust this guy?

Narrator

I'm trustworthy!

Voice of the Omen

Well...

Narrator

I don't like the tone you're using on me. I have never betrayed anyone ever.

Voice of the Omen

I don't even know who you are. Who are you?

Narrator

Oh, look at that, a path to walk down! Convenient.

Narrator

Okay. Okay. I get it, I haven't sweetened the deal. Hey. Stop walking! C'mon. Give a guy a chance!

Narrator

Oh, fine! We're doing it the hard way then.

Full admission. There is no way back. You could walk for about forty minutes in one way and you'll loop back around.

Voice of the Omen

Is that not suspicious to you?

Narrator

Why would it be suspicious? Is it suspicious to you?

Voice of the Omen

...Yes? Yes! That is why I asked! Yes!

Narrator

Well, it's not.

Look, there's the castle again. You want to go to the castle so bad it makes you look stupid.

Voice of the Omen

We don't want to go to the castle. That's the point, Mr— You.

Narrator

You want to not go to the castle so bad it makes you look stupid.

Voice of the Omen

...Okay, well—

Narrator

Just trust me on this. Castle equals good. Move in that general direction.

Why are you walking further away?!

(Sigh) Just hear me out for this, okay? I don't want the world to end, I hope you probably also don't want the world to end, and you're — I don't know. Special or something. Whatever makes you sound cooler to yourself.

Why are you walking in the other direction FASTER?!

It's not that bad if you get down to it. You're just being a coward about it.

...You can pitch in at any time!

Voice of the Omen

I thought the not wanting to and wanting to made me look stupid.

Narrator

...Seriously?

Voice of the Omen

Are you saying it doesn't?

Narrator

Fine! Wanting to go doesn't make you look stupid! You're walking into a tree—! Great. That's what you get. Voice, do something!

Voice of the Omen

What's the magic word?

Narrator

The world is going to end! Apparently! Are we forgetting this!

Voice of the Omen

...Maybe you should turn the other way.

He also really...isn't lying. I've seen the castle eight times. It's not that effective.

Hey. Hey. You, me. I don't like this guy either but he's not really giving us a lot of options. We can— There! We can go in, see what all this world-ending business is about, and then get out if we think it's weird and we just got signed up to kill an innocent person or something.

Narrator

People aren't usually called presences with a capital letter.

Voice of the Omen

And people usually respect conversational boundaries!

Narrator

Point.

Voice of the Omen

(Intelligible mocking.)
How about it?

Voice of the Omen

I'll...take it?

Narrator

There we go! Attitude switch up.

Narrator

It is. I promise.

Voice of the Omen

What's in it for us?

Narrator

What's 'in it'? Oh, I don't know. Full unbridled bragging rights because you saved the world? That's pretty good if I do say so myself.

Voice of the Omen

Brag to what people? We're alone. In a forest.

Narrator

And? There's people everywhere.

Voice of the Omen

In...the forest?

Narrator

Sure!

Voice of the Omen

What—

Narrator

That's not important. What's important is getting to that castle, because there's a thing inside that wants to maybe end the world. If you needed a reminder that there's stakes. Because you're also the world. Just in case you didn't know that.

Voice of the Omen

Well. Yeah, I guessed that.

Narrator

Good! Means you know you're in the world. And you'll get to use bragging rights in the world. If you don't let it end! Am I right or am I right.

Voice of the Omen

You're...
I guess you're right.
Maybe he can hear him out. Oh, I know! We can go to the castle, see if he's not lying, and we can just leave if he is!

Voice of the Omen

You could be a little less upset about it.

Narrator

You could be a little less upset about everything.

Voice of the Omen

Did I do? Something? To you?

Narrator

No. 's just funny.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, great.

Narrator

Oh. That was unexpectedly easy.

Narrator

You get to the castle. Finally. Didn't know about all the uphill climbing. That's on me, boys.

Okay. So, if I'm going to be totally honest, I don't know what to expect. I only know what I know, which is not a lot but still important.
All I know for sure, is that she wants to get out and you shouldn't let her do that. She will lie, cheat, or all that other stuff and it's going to be really annoying. My suggestion? Be more annoying than her and she should be easy to kill.

Voice of the Omen

That's not very good advice. That was awful advice, actually.

Narrator

What do you want me to say? Be nice to the world-ending monster in the castle at the top of the hill? Do you want me to tell you to give her a bedtime story?

Voice of the Omen

No!

Narrator

It sure sounds like you want me to.

Voice of the Omen

You're very unhelpful, do you know that?

Narrator

I'm plenty helpful. Tell him.

Voice of the Omen

No, I don't think he has to. I think you should tell us more about what we're facing here. If she's an innocent person, we should be helping her!

Narrator

I hate to tell you this, but the world ending was part of the opening speech. Important part of it even. The world ending was a very important part of that. Did you remember the world ending?

Voice of the Omen

I don't think that's as important and knowing if you're setting us up.

Narrator

Why would I be setting you up? What would I be setting you up for? I don't want to be here any more than you do! You're the one asking all the questions!

Voice of the Omen

You're not giving us very helpful instructions either!

Narrator

I told you that the Presence is—!
No. Nevermind. She's mean and big and mean and going to end the world. I'll tell you I told you so.

Narrator

The interior of the castle is bland. Not really much here, is there? A lot of shut doors and cold stone and banners that don't signify anything. A rushed interior that denotes not a lot of time spent on the insides as opposed to the outsides, or a lot of time spent ransacking the place for anything that wasn't nailed to the walls or the high-arched ceilings.

On the far end of the front chamber is a huge metal door. Massive huge. The sheen of its better, earlier days is lost and instead it looks as worn and weathered and unfinished as the stone walls. In the middle of the room is a large, weirdly placed wooden table. It looks as though it was in the middle of being stolen from a banquet hall, broken, and the smallest portion of it was abandoned. Weird, that.

Placed on the table is a pristine blade. Pretty sure you're supposed to use that. To, you know. Kill the big bad scary Presence.

Voice of the Omen

You sound very unsure about that.

Narrator

Don't tell me what I do and don't sound unsure about. I know the blade is to be used and it only has one use.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, now you know? Not 'pretty sure'?

Narrator

Are you going to be this picky the entire time?

Voice of the Omen

Yes. No.

Narrator

Pick one. I swear, pick one right now.

Voice of the Omen

...Find out.

Narrator

I swear to—
We don't have time for this. Just pick up the blade and get this over with.

Narrator

Oh.

To be honest, I thought you'd think it was stupid and walk past it entirely.
Good! Now you can defend yourself.

Voice of the Omen

I don't like it. Something's all...weird about this. I don't know what but it is. I swear on it.

Narrator

Well, it's fine and I think you're paranoid.

Voice of the Omen

Just. Promise not to use it if we find out she's innocent?

Narrator

Ugh.

Narrator

What? Seriously. I put all that work into that speech out front and you go in without the sharp pointy thing I specifically told you to bring?

Voice of the Omen

No, it's better this way. If she's a normal person we won't scare her. We can always come back for it.

Narrator

Ugh.

Narrator

The hallway is dim and hollow. Stripped bare of all the accessories it may have once had, its large windows boarded up tightly and rotting. The torch-lit sconces on the walls are put out, ash coating a layer of age-old soot like a shadow along the ground. A thick layer of dust has long settled on the ground and thin rays of light scatter onto the broken pieces of glass dotted through the hall.
The stone is cold on every side, chilling the air. As though the stone itself leeches upon the warmth of even yourself. At the end of the hall stands an empty arch, once a frame for a door that has thoroughly rotted through, exposing a dimly lit — though just barely lighter than the corridor — room.

If the Presence lives here, slaying her is probably doing her a favour.

Her voice — and, believe me, I'm surprised she can talk too — echoes down the hall.

And let me guess. Is this a new person wandering the halls looking for something to steal? It's all gone, if you're looking.

Oh? It would be nicer to see the face of the mystery stranger who's just walked in to check up on me.

Voice of the Omen

That...feels kind of rude. Did that feel rude to anyone else? Am I hearing this wrong?

Narrator

It's not like she's contractually obligated to be nice to you just because you said you were making sure she's still breathing. I mean. The point is she's not supposed to be breathing and you're going to do that. Stopping the breathing, that is. Why would she be nice anyway?

Voice of the Omen

Still. We haven't even done anything but walk in and she's being mean about it!

Narrator

If you were stuck in a room and someone with a knife came by and said they were 'checking up on you' you'd probably be a little peeved too.

Voice of the Omen

Not that much. Besides, how would I know there's a knife? I thought she doesn't know we have a knife. How would she know that?

Narrator

I don't know. Theatre of the mind. It's called improv, learn about it next time. Do you enjoy being difficult?

Voice of the Omen

Why am I being difficult now?! What does that even have to do with anything that just happened?

Narrator

I don't know! Ask yourself! Ugh. Just go in there and stab her already so we can be free of this.

Narrator

Who asks somebody that? Nevermind you're saying it to the Presence, who just asks that?

I don't know. Am I?

Narrator

What did you expect to gain from that? Honestly. What was the plan here?

Voice of the Omen

It doesn't...hurt to ask?

Narrator

There was nothing you gained from this! What did you expect her to say. No?

Voice of the Omen

I mean. Maybe? It'd give us a heads up?

Narrator

Just go inside already. For my sake, just go inside. I can't deal with this.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you're supposed to be telling her that?

Narrator

You're definitely not supposed to be telling her that. Certified. Bad idea. Cancel.

I wouldn't recommend it, personally. That's up to you.

Voice of the Omen

Weirdly enough, I don't like how she said that.

Narrator

Now do you believe me that she's a world-ending threat?

Voice of the Omen

I didn't not-like it that much. You're so on the gun about that. Every time she's slightly mean are you doing to do that?

Narrator

No. But I have a point and you'll figure that out.

Voice of the Omen

I really don't think you realise how unconvincing your point is.

Narrator

Oh, please. I'm plenty convincing. So convincing that you can go through that door and do something about it.

Narrator

This is almost worse than whatever the other one keeps suggesting. What in the world was that. Of all the things. Of all of the things you could have said in this situation. You say that.

Voice of the Omen

Why am I now 'the other one'? I deserve a little more than that, come on.

Narrator

You're the one who keeps suggesting we don't kill the thing that's going to end the world. Just saying.

Voice of the Omen

Why am I getting a bad name about it?

Well, I'd hope that's the case. I'd hate to be killed. I don't know what you'd even kill me for.

Voice of the Omen

...She does have a point.

Narrator

She'd say she doesn't want to be killed anyway. Stop being a baby about it. Just go in already.

Narrator

So, is there a reason for the decision to go on the 'quiet serial murderer' thing, or is this your idea of a person with a knife? Because, genuinely, I don't know what you're doing here.

Voice of the Omen

It's a little cool. I have to say it, it is a little bit cool. The guy who hides in the shadows, lurking around all silent with a knife? That's cool.

Narrator

That's lame. That's lame. That's not cool.

Voice of the Omen

You just don't have any idea of the concept of fun.

Narrator

What? I have plenty concept of fun. I'm the funnest. Ever. I'm so fun.

Voice of the Omen

But are you concept?

Narrator

What does that even mean? What do you mean am I concept? I'm fun but I have to be concept as well? What are you standards here? I don't like them. I don't like whatever standards you're giving me here. I'm fun. I don't need to be concept.

Voice of the Omen

No, I reckon you do. You're not fun without concept.

Narrator

I think your opinion is wrong and you're no fun. Just go inside the room already and go be lame or something.

Voice of the Omen

(Intelligible grumbling)

Narrator

The room is made of bare stone. The kind of empty that you only get when you definitely never got around to decorating a room and instead left it entirely empty except for the dust and occasional bench or tool needed for upkeep. A single unobstructed window sits high on the far wall as the only light source of the room, though its light is far more powerful than it should be, considering the time of day outside. That's annoying.

Chained to that far wall by her wrist, sitting up and watching you with a narrow and analytical glare, is the Presence.

Voice of the Omen

She's so — normal? So much more normal than I expected her to be. You made her sound like an actual monster.

Narrator

I mean. She's supposed to be. Did you not note the eyes? I specifically mentioned the eyes. Is it not unnerving enough for you.

Voice of the Omen

Well, I can see that. But she's just normal. It's a little uncomfortable, but still really normal.

Narrator

I guess you can take it that way. Stop letting it get to you. I signed you up for murder so the faster you finish your sentence the more murder we can get to. We're on a time limit here.

Voice of the Omen

Since when were we on a time limit?!

Narrator

Since I decided we were. Because I can do that.

Voice of the Omen

What—

Narrator

You've stood in awkward silence for long enough that now she's staring at you skeptically. Look at that, you're boring now. Great job. The Presence slumps back against the wall, disinterested.

So. You're the new person wandering around, then?

I thought there would be more to this. Do you normally only carry a knife with you when you go to rob someone's castle?

Voice of the Omen

I feel a little insulted.

Narrator

You should be.

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry?

Narrator

Listen. There's not a lot of time here because I made a time limit because otherwise you're never going to get anything done, so just. You know. Use the sharp thing you have and do the thing I told you to do and we can move on with all of our lives. I mean, look at that. She's not the best conversational partner.

Voice of the Omen

Why does that mean anything? I'd be a bad conversational partner too if I was locked away for who knows how long.

Narrator

Are you sure that's not what's already happened to you?

Voice of the Omen

I don't think I like what you're implying.

Narrator

Uh huh. Less talking more murder, please.

Narrator

—you slay her. You slay her? You slay her! That was suspiciously easy.

Voice of the Omen

I don't like this.

Narrator

Oh, please, you don't like anything that agrees with me.

Voice of the Omen

And for a reason. But we're doing this now, so nothing to do but commit.

Narrator

That's also suspiciously easy, coming from you.

Voice of the Omen

Just do it.

Narrator

Wow. If you say so.

Blade held tight, you lunge across the room. The Presence watches you with wide eyes, and despite the confidence she held as you opened the door there is an incomprehension that floods her expression as the flesh gives way under the sharp edge of the blade. It sinks deep into her heart.

O...oh....

Narrator

It seems to register to her slowly. Her hand ghosts up to the blade lodged in her chest, uncomprehending as she does before it floods with a realisation and, shortly after, her expression drains of anything. Blank, uneasy eyes stare up at you as she slumps back against the wall. Her mouth twitches into a poor facsimile of a smile.

I...should've thought that would be how this went. Ha... You were so unsubtle about it, I almost thought you were doing it on purpose. You were convincing enough…

I should've guessed... This is the only way, wasn't it? This is the only way this could have ended. This is the only way you could have freed me, wasn't it? I won't have to end up here again.

Voice of the Omen

Is it just me, or does she sound like she's been here before?

Narrator

That's impossible. There's no way. The Presence is a lot of things, but she can't have been here more than her time here now.

Voice of the Omen

But what if she has? She said this is the only way it could have ended — what if she has been here before? What if she'll be here again?

Narrator

You're being really paranoid. Have you heard yourself?

Voice of the Omen

I mean. When you put it like that?

Narrator

That's not the worst logic, I guess. There's better logic. But that's not awful. Besides, she's dead now. I think we've done a good job here, boys.

Voice of the Omen

I still don't like how that happened. The possibility she's been here before. That she thinks death will... What did she even think? It's like she thought it'd save her.

Narrator

But it can't. She's dead. That's the point.

Voice of the Omen

No! I mean. It's like she thought dying was being saved? Is that not super messed up to anybody else?

Narrator

Why are we arguing semantics over the Presence's dying words? People say a lot of weird stuff when they're dying. It's called... I don't know. Hysteria or something. Maybe.

Voice of the Omen

It doesn't sit right with me. None of this does.

Voice of the Omen

That's not the nicest way you could have phrased it.

Narrator

You're both just paranoid. It's fine, she's dead, and maybe she's out there relieved about it or whatever she's on about. We all win! And now you get to enjoy a world that's not about to end. Isn't that great?

Voice of the Omen

It's a lot...bitterer than I thought it'd be. It doesn't really feel like we won at all, if I'm honest.

Narrator

Now you're pessimistic. Is there anything that will keep you happy?

Voice of the Omen

There's a lot that would keep me happy! This just doesn't feel...good. This doesn't feel good. This isn't a good win. I don't like this win. This must be the only world she's died before, which means there's other worlds she didn't die.

Narrator

What are you getting at?

Voice of the Omen

I'm just saying, if there's other worlds she survived and she's here...

Narrator

Oh, no. No no no. You're not trying to jump into different worlds now, are you?

Voice of the Omen

It's just an idea! A really, really weird idea that I don't even know how it'd work, but it's an idea! This win didn't feel good. There has to be some kind of other ending. A better one.

Narrator

You just saved the world! How is that not a 'better' ending for you?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know. It's just not. It's... You have to agree with me here. There has to be something, right?

Voice of the Omen

Okay! Still not the words I'd use, but the same point, right? What are we going to do about it?

Narrator

You aren't going to do anything? What makes you think you could somehow, what, hop universes anyway?

Voice of the Omen

Well, she clearly seems to believe she did it, so there has to be some way.

Narrator

You're insane for trying this.

...Is the room darker?

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

Look around. Is it just me or is it darker in here? The window light is...getting dimmer. That's probably not good.

Voice of the Omen

What. You take that back. I don't like it when the omni-something voice tells us something isn't good. That's awful.

Narrator

It's getting darker the longer you stand here. It's difficult to even see your hands in the dim light, and even nearby it's almost impossible to make out distinct shapes of the Presence's cooling body.
It's getting dark. And quick.

Voice of the Omen

What are we supposed to do?! Turn around and leave?

Voice of the Omen

Oh.

Narrator

You make a break for the way out, only... The opening isn't there. Or it isn't where you expected it to be. You're not sure. The room's lighting is getting darker and darker. Your hand meets stone instead of air. You have seconds until you lose visibility of even your hands in the darkness.

Voice of the Omen

What— It's that quick?! What are we supposed to do? Just — feel along the wall! Eventually we have to find the entrance.

Narrator

You walk along the wall, hand pressed to the cold cobblestone. The room is entirely dark. Your hand meets a corner, and you turn and continue again. And again. And again. And again.

Voice of the Omen

But...the doorframe? Where's the frame?

Narrator

I don't think there is one. The room...

Voice of the Omen

Did it trap us in here? There's no way it trapped us in here. No.

Narrator

I think it might've.

Voice of the Omen

You think?

Narrator

I didn't know it would do this if you just killed her! Why would I assume killing her would mean the room closed you in? Maybe if you'd left and enjoyed your unending world a little sooner. Not to point the blame.

Voice of the Omen

It was a poor stopping-the-end-of-the-world! I didn't like it! And now the room has locked us in!

Narrator

It's getting hard to move. You don't even really know if you are moving. The room is cold, and the dark is impossible to see through. By now, you should have tripped over the Presence's body, but you haven't. There's a real chance the room doesn't exist anymore.

Voice of the Omen

What.

Narrator

It's too dark to tell. To know. Are you moving? Living? Where are you, anymore, if not in the room you killed her?

Voice of the Omen

What's gotten into you? You're hearing this, right?

Narrator

It's dark. Is anything alive if unobserved?

Voice of the Omen

Listen, you're really spooking me here—

Narrator

Everything is dark.

Sigh. If you want to stand there awkwardly, that's fine by me. But I can promise you it will make conversation a lot less awkward if you sit down. You can live through a bit of cold stone.

Besides. You don't have to look so concerned about it. Look.

Narrator

She holds up the arm held by the heavy chain and gives it a hard tug. Her expression is indecipherable from this side of the room as the chain clanks and pulls taught but comes no closer to breaking. The slack falls back to the ground with a sharp, disconcerting noise like splintering glass.

Doesn't even budge. You're holding that thing like you expect me to attack you. I can tell you that I can't move far enough to try. But do what you want. Who am I to stop you?

Voice of the Omen

She's...very okay with the idea that we could stab her.

Narrator

She knows the knife is there and probably assumed you know how to use it. I don't think that's true, but she does for now. Even if you tried to kill her now she'd probably be prepared for it, because you gave away all of the advantages you had, you idiots.

Voice of the Omen

No. No, I'm sure this is fine. Even if we don't know how to use it we could pretend we do.

Narrator

Are you scared?

Voice of the Omen

What? No. Nooooo. No. Why would I be scared? She's just mean and normal. Nothing to be scared of.

Narrator

I'm onto you.

Voice of the Omen

…Don't be?

You're a much ruder house guest than I thought. The obvious plan to stab me aside. Would it kill you to stop anxiously buzzing in place and do something like, maybe, *sit*? Or go stand on the other side of the room.

First person I've had the chance to talk to in however long and you haven't even said anything since you walked in. Of course. What else.

Narrator

The way the Presence's expressions move is strange to look at. A displeasure mixed with an amusement but there's also a strange amount of dispassion. It all fits unnaturally on her face.

Voice of the Omen

It kind of looks like she doesn't really know what she's supposed to be doing. You know. Expressionally. Like she's still figuring out how to make it work. I feel kind of bad.

Narrator

Is this the whole 'if I got stuck alone I'd also be mean and evil' thing?

Voice of the Omen

I never said I'd be *evil*.

Narrator

Sure.

Voice of the Omen

And — I don't know. Maybe? If I didn't have anyone to have to do that for except myself I guess I'd also kind of forget how to make my face do all the right things? I don't know how you expect me to answer that. What about you? If you got stuck, wouldn't you have to relearn socializing?

Narrator

Nah. I just wouldn't get stuck.

Voice of the Omen

You can't *sidestep* my question like that?

Narrator

Watch me. The Presence regards you blandly when you still haven't moved.

Well? Nothing?

Voice of the Omen

Oh, shoot. Uh. Start talking!

Why think about it? I don't know yours and you don't know mine, but we have something to call each other. A name isn't going to get us out of this faster.

Voice of the Omen

A lot of energy, that. Getting a lot of energy. Don't know how nice that was.

Narrator

You're asking how *nice* she is? Seriously? She just evaded giving you a name the most I've ever seen someone evade anything and you're wondering if that was nice?

Voice of the Omen

Well, maybe it was! Maybe that's her nice! You don't know.

Narrator

It's not going to be *nice* when she ends the world on you.

Voice of the Omen

Wh— Well. You don't know that.

Narrator

What?

Narrator

The Presence smiles at you cryptically and doesn't respond.

Voice of the Omen

I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, honestly. I kind of want to know now. Why did you do this to me?

How did you know I was here?

Voice of the Omen

...Is there a right answer to this? I feel like we're being tested. Does anyone else feel like they're being tested?

Narrator

You don't *have* to ask her questions.

Voice of the Omen

I'd like to change my answer to ask her more questions and answer this one as truthfully as possible.

Narrator

Are you kidding me?

Voice of the Omen

I wanna know what she'd say.

Narrator

*Are you kidding*?

Voice of the Omen

Do it.

Narrator

I hate both of you. So much. Fine. Whatever. The Presence stares at you and offers you a shrug.

Then it's like that for me. I wake up in here and I know the entire building's empty because it's *been* empty for nearly as long as I can remember.

Voice of the Omen

I guess that's kind of similar?

Narrator

*You think*? How is that similar enough to pass for you?

Voice of the Omen

Wake up somewhere and something tells you there's something going on?

Narrator

What, you think she's got some version of me too?

Voice of the Omen

We can't *prove* she doesn't.

Narrator

She doesn't.

Voice of the Omen

You don't know that.

Narrator

Nope. I do. I'm telling you she doesn't.

Voice of the Omen

Uh huh. Likely story.

Narrator

So do you just ask people this when you meet them or is this a unique thing you do for living end of the worlds? Genuinely asking.

Voice of the Omen

It's a valid question, isn't it? We don't know why she's here and you didn't tell us why either.

Narrator

Because she's going to end the world? What is so hard about this? Do I have to tell you kicks sad wolves in the rain or something for this to get through?

Voice of the Omen

Well. Kicking sad rain wolves isn't really ending the world, is it.

Narrator

You're kidding.

If I knew I'd tell you. All I know is they must have had some reason to do it, but nobody's exactly forthcoming about why they're locking you away forever when they're *locking you away forever*. Surprisingly.

I don't know why. I don't even know how long ago, honestly, and that's more upsetting to me than not knowing why I'm here.

Narrator

Good news! I know why she's here.

Voice of the Omen

People don't just *know* someone's going to end the world.

Narrator

Yes they do. I'm right here. I know it. And you know it too.

Voice of the Omen

But she's not going to?

Narrator

Riiiiight.

Maybe you'd have better luck figuring it out. I doubt there's anything left in this place, but there might be something to tell you...why. If you're that curious.

Voice of the Omen

Maybe we could come back and look. Once we're out.

Narrator

I'm sure you will.

Voice of the Omen

Threatening.

Narrator

Do you hate to listen to people or is this just something you do?

Voice of the Omen

Insane as it sounds, I'm with him. What?

Narrator

What he said. *What*?

Am I now?

Narrator

The Presence laughs, startled and incredulous and sharp.

So is that why you're down here with that knife on you? Because you're *scared* of me? Of what I'm 'supposed' to do? Well, isn't that just *grand*.

Voice of the Omen

I feel like this was a bad idea.

I'd tell you I won't, but you wouldn't believe me. I'd tell you I don't feel like it but I don't know what I feel like doing, honestly, even if I knew what you're talking about. Which I don't. Because I can't just *end the world*.

I don't know about you, stranger, but I wouldn't lock a world-ender in some random room somewhere for anyone to stumble on.

Narrator

That's why we're even here. That's the point.

Voice of the Omen

We're here because you don't lock people in random rooms?

Narrator

Because that's how *world-enders* get to end the world.

Voice of the Omen

...The world is still pretty safe though?

Narrator

Because people have been doing the smart thing. Probably. I dunno. Stop asking questions with hard answers. I don't know everything. Except that I do.

Voice of the Omen

Then tell us???

Narrator

Kill her and find out.

Voice of the Omen

No??

Narrator

Too bad.

That's... I'm not complaining, but that's not what I thought you'd do.

Narrator

What do you think you're *doing*? You can't even do anything about the chain. That's the point of a heavy chain bolting someone to the wall. You're supposed to have the very obviously described sharp thing out front and use it to make her from an alive thing into a dead thing. She's not complaining but *I'm* complaining. What! Are! You! Doing! You! Idiot!

Voice of the Omen

She hasn't done anything worse than insult us a bunch, and that wasn't even really insults that was just being mean for some reason. No harm, no foul, right?

Narrator

Yes! Big harm, lots of foul! End of the world is a lot of harm!

Voice of the Omen

She sure doesn't sound a lot like she's going to end the world?

Narrator

Do you think evil people tell you the truth?

Voice of the Omen

Sometimes!

If you're willing to help... By my guest, maybe-murderer.

Narrator

You disgust me and you suck. Ugh. Fine.

The chain is made of an unyielding, black material, a sheer cold radiating off of it in thin wisps now that you have a closer look at it. It burns to the touch you give it a tentative tug and leaves your fingers numb, the bones aching. The chain links are thick and show no evidence of wearing. Trying to break it would be a pointless endeavour. Can we go now?

Voice of the Omen

Obviously not! We just haven't figured out how they work yet. There's a keyhole in the cuff, so there must be some way to pick it, isn't there?

There's been a lot of people looting this place. I don't think there'd be a key outside anymore, if there ever was.

Voice of the Omen

No harm in looking though, right? Maybe it's somewhere we haven't checked! We didn't get much chance to explore thanks to a certain *someone*.

Narrator

Don't blame me! You're here for a purpose and I'm here to keep you accountable so you do said purpose and save the world, which you're actively not doing right now. Don't shoot the messenger.

Voice of the Omen

You still corralled us into the room. There could've been other things to explore! Maybe we'd have had the key by now!

Narrator

*If* there's a key, which there probably isn't.

Voice of the Omen

But there might've been one. You don't know that.

Narrator

You can try look, but I can guarantee you you're not gonna find anything.

Voice of the Omen

Difficult.

If you're that confident. Sure. Try not to get lost.

Narrator

It's almost funny. For the first time, the Presence and I agree on something, and that thing is doubting you. If there was ever a time where killing her *won't* hurt her feelings.

Voice of the Omen

But we're not going to stab her.

Narrator

But you're not. Because you both suck and you hate me.

Narrator

The Presence stares at you blankly before smiling cryptically.

One or two. I've been here a while.

Voice of the Omen

...It was a little demanding to expect someone named 'Presence' to not be a little cryptic every so often.

Narrator

Is this not a warning sign? To either of you? Is this *normal* to you?

Voice of the Omen

No. She's just... She's been cooperative this far. And also mean. But not...aggressive? She didn't even want to escape until he mentioned it!

Narrator

'Not mentioning it' and 'not wanting to' don't stop each other? Just because someone doesn't say something doesn't mean they don't think about it. Maybe she was waiting until she knew you were easy to manipulate into helping her. Which you *are*.

Voice of the Omen

What's so bad about that?

Narrator

Do you hear yourself? Genuinely. Do you hear yourself right now right in this minute. 'What's wrong with that?' I swear.

She's staring at you. Just go do something.

Narrator

You stop just before the doorframe. Alright. I'm gonna level with you, boys. I said I'd keep you accountable and I'm keeping you accountable. Either you leave here intending to stab her, or you're stuck in here.

Voice of the Omen

You're *controlling* this? Can't you just let us out? We're not even doing anything wrong!

Narrator

Can't. If I could or wanted to, I mean, I'd do it. But I also don't really want to.

Voice of the Omen

Are you *kidding* me?

Narrator

Nope. Perfectly serious. Don't you hear how serious I am? I'm so serious.

Narrator

Can't we make this all easier on ourselves and do the thing we were specifically here for?

Voice of the Omen

No. No, not until we have no other option. She's innocent!

Narrator

Are you still on that? She's *supposed* to manipulate you into thinking she's innocent. If you get her out of this room, she'll probably disembowel you faster than usual as a thank you present.

Voice of the Omen

There weren't any bodies in the hall. If she was dangerous, there'd be evidence of a fight.

Narrator

And all the furniture is gone. People could have cleaned up the blood. She's been in here for long enough that if she's *killed* anyone—which she definitely *will* even if she hasn't yet—then it probably got cleaned up.

Voice of the Omen

But you're wrong. She's a good person, I just know it.

Narrator

Well, you're wrong and also blind. Just go back already.

Of course. There's something stopping you, too, isn't there? Stuck us both in here to...fight like dogs or something. Just because you wanted to help.

Narrator

The Presence's frustration bleeds into hurt, lips twisting into a frown. Her hands, folded as they are on her lap, bend into a crushing grip, arms trembling with the effort it takes to contain herself as she lapses into silence.

I'm telling you. She's not planning anything good, and now you're stuck in this room. *Alone*. With a thing that could kill you, and you have a knife on you that she *can* kill you with.

Voice of the Omen

No, no, no. We can find a way out of this. We can find a way out of this.

Narrator

There's only *one* way out of here and you know what it is. Making it more difficult drags this out for all of us and I don't want to be here longer than I have to because you're both difficult.

Voice of the Omen

Don't. Don't, it's not worth it, *please*.

Voice of the Omen

No, no, c'mon man. We can do this. We can think about it. We can do this without stabbing her. Come on, we're so close. Can't we- I don't know. Pick the door with it? Destroy the latch? Wedge it open?

Narrator

Stop making this harder than it needs to be. I'll respect the dedication but dedication isn't going to save you from being locked in here forever until she randomly decides she's had enough and kills us and then, you know. The *world*.

Voice of the Omen

I refuse to let those be our only two options. I won't let it.

Narrator

The Presence is staring at you. Just do it. Now. She can't stop you.

Voice of the Omen

Think about this!

Narrator

There's nothing to think about. Get it over with already so we can leave and go about our merry lives in a world that *isn't* about to end.

Narrator

*What*?

Voice of the Omen

See!

Narrator

You—

Voice of the Omen

We're saving her! None of your little tricks and doodads. She's innocent and she's not going to end the world just because *you* said so.

Narrator

No. That has to be some kind of mistake.

Voice of the Omen

Nope. You heard as well as I did.

Narrator

I hate you. I hate both of you and I hope this goes horribly wrong. I'm going to tell you I told you so when she ends the world.

Voice of the Omen

Grim.

Narrator

And dooming the world isn't?

Voice of the Omen

We're not *dooming* the world. We're saving an innocent person.

Narrator

You can't be serious.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, I'm so serious.

Narrator

You cannot.

Voice of the Omen

I so can.

Narrator

No. No, you can't. I'm not allowing it.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean you're not—

Narrator

I mean I'm not allowing it. I let you keep doing this and that's on me until it's not, but I can't actually let you go through with doing this.

Voice of the Omen

You don't get to decide that!

Narrator

I do now.

The Presence eyes you with concern at your silence.

I have an idea. You're not bad with blood, are you?

Voice of the Omen

Whatever you're about to do, don't do it. I'm begging, don't do it.

Narrator

I have to.

Voice of the Omen

*No*.

Narrator

Tightening your grip on the blade, the Presence doesn't have enough time to dodge as your arm raises mechanically and drives the blade through her chest. Immediately, it feels as though your ribs cave in as she lands a solid punch to the centre of your chest with a horrible, wet crack. Blood stains her front as she tilts back against the wall, scrambling for what little strength she has.

Why would you do that?! You said you were going to help! You were going to help me, why did you... What did…

Voice of the Omen

She was innocent! We were going to help her, but instead you—!

Narrator

I'm saving the world from all three of you.

Voice of the Omen

You knew she'd kill us!

Narrator

Fifty-fifty. Either she died and you got out, or you both died and the world lives on another day. Hoped you'd live, but you see how that's turned out.

Voice of the Omen

No! No I don't think I do know!

Narrator

Oh. Well that just sucks for you, doesn't it?

I thought... I thought you'd help. I really thought you'd help…

You idiot. I'll get you for this, you know? I'll get you back for this.

Voice of the Omen

What does that mean?

Narrator

It doesn't matter. Probably.

Voice of the Omen

No, I think it does matter when someone obviously dying says that their murderer is also an idiot. I think that matters quite a lot, actually.

Narrator

It doesn't *matter*. You don't have time to worry about it anyway because you have a big hole in your chest and about twelve broken ribs stabbing into all your inside parts. I'm surprised you're alive still, honestly.

Voice of the Omen

Honestly. I'd rather we'd died before hearing her say that because now I'm worried.

Narrator

The Presence slumps to the floor, her blood now puddling on the stone floor. She trembles with the effort of trying to take the blade out of her chest, weakly grasping at the hilt. Her betrayed glare burns in the side of your face as you, too, fall to the floor in your own pool of blood.

I won't forget it. Whatever you do, no matter how long, I won't forget what you've done here. You owe me.

Voice of the Omen

That! That's concerning!

Narrator

I really hoped this would turn out better for us, boys, but I had to do something or you'd have doomed us all. The good news about it is that you don't have to think about it for long, because everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

Finally. You lunge forward, blade gripped tightly, but hesitating by talking to her gave her enough time to tense. There's an emboldened edge to her eyes as the blade plunges down with aim for her heart. It's stopped short as a crushing grip encircles your wrist.

Nice try. Don't leave yourself open next time.

Voice of the Omen

Did we just get threatened by a tip? I feel like I've just been threatened.

Narrator

You grit your teeth and press forward but the Presence's grip around doesn't relent, instead she pushes back as she begins to climb to her feet. Her grin is wide and challenging.

How about we make this a fair fight? Since you're so determined.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

Your wrist explodes into a blinding flash of pain. You don't hear the sharp drop of the blade falling to the floor until the Presence is kicking it away just as she pushes you away by your broken wrist.

Voice of the Omen

She *what*?!

Narrator

I know! How does she expect you to do anything with arms like those without a weapon? Come on.

Voice of the Omen

Hurtful?

Narrator

Stop thinking about it.

One hand down for the both of us. No weapons. To the death. How does that sound?

Voice of the Omen

Awful! That sounds awful! I would like to leave!

Narrator

Too late. The Presence lunges at you with an alarming speed, pulling on your arm with enough force it nearly wrenches out of the socket as she tugs to forward into her range. It's now or never. Which means only now because otherwise you die pathetically.

Voice of the Omen

I would rather die pathetically? I don't *want* to fight her because then it's just going to be *more* painful?

Voice of the Omen

Oh. Good. Great. Cool. You always say the greatest things that get us into situations I don't want to be in.

Narrator

The Presence, helpfully, doesn't wait for any confirmation you're in on her rules.

With one wrist broken and hers chained, the fight is clumsy and brutal. The Presence delivers a heavy strike to your ribs that certainly breaks more than a few and injures more than one part of your squishy body, and just as much you land one to the shattering sound of her clavicle. Her kick fractures bone. You fracture her arm.

It's ruthless and careful. Of knowing each other and dodging and weaving out of the way to take advantages of openings you see and don't realise in yourself.

Voice of the Omen

This is *awful*. Who let us do this? Who did this?

Good. Look at that. You're getting better already. I thought you'd crumble after the first hit.

Narrator

Your skull meets stone in a horrible, disorientating moment and you expect a hail of fists that doesn't come. Instead, the Presence stands above you, a critical eye looking down on you in assessment. Against everybody's better judgement, you wobble back to your feet, and the Presence gives you a nod before swinging again.

Stop letting your guard down because you're comfortable.

Voice of the Omen

Is she— She's *helping* us? Is that what that was? Did she just wait for us to get back up and prove we can still *fight* before she continued to beat us to death?

Narrator

Looks like it. Stop thinking.

You're getting distracted.

Narrator

A heavy punch. The sound of splinting bone, both from you and her. The blood that coats the floor is patches stained red. Broken ribs have pierced multiple places, but a glance at the Presence and her own wounds are taking a toll on her.

You fall to the ground. Shortly after, the heavy sound of a body hitting stone and the Presence—beaten bloody and grinning brightly—is dying beside you. That's...not how I expected this to go? I thought this would go differently? I mean, whatever works, but what?

Voice of the Omen

What if we didn't do that again?

Narrator

I don't think you can, so.

Voice of the Omen

You don't think—?

Oh, that was fun. I haven't had a good fight in *so long*. We should do this again. Outside, maybe. I remember some fields that were good sparring grounds. You've got so much to work on but I could— I could help. You and I. Sparring buddies.

Voice of the Omen

No way. I'm not doing that again. Nuh uh. You can't make me.

Maybe. Maybe we should. I'll look forward to it.

Voice of the Omen

I won't!

Narrator

You don't have time to respond. Or the strength to, actually. You might have punctured a lung somewhere in there. Sucks, but you've definitely killed her. She's not getting up from this either. Good news! The bad news is you're definitely dead.

Voice of the Omen

*What*?

Narrator

Sorry. Can't really do much about that. Everything goes dark and you die.

Narrator

Finally. You lunge forward, blade gripped tightly, but hesitating by talking to her gave her enough time to tense. There's an emboldened edge to her eyes as the blade plunges down with aim for her heart. It's stopped short as a crushing grip encircles your wrist.

Nice try. Don't leave yourself open next time.

Voice of the Omen

Did we just get threatened by a tip? I feel like I've just been threatened.

Narrator

You grit your teeth and press forward but the Presence's grip around doesn't relent, instead she pushes back as she begins to climb to her feet. Her grin is wide and challenging.

How about we make this a fair fight? Since you're so determined.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

Your wrist explodes into a blinding flash of pain. You don't hear the sharp drop of the blade falling to the floor until the Presence is kicking it away just as she pushes you away by your broken wrist.

Voice of the Omen

She *what*?!

Narrator

I know! How does she expect you to do anything with arms like those without a weapon? Come on.

Voice of the Omen

Hurtful?

Narrator

Stop thinking about it.

One hand down for the both of us. No weapons. To the death. How does that sound?

Voice of the Omen

Awful! That sounds awful! I would like to leave!

Narrator

Too late. The Presence lunges at you with an alarming speed, pulling on your arm with enough force it nearly wrenches out of the socket as she tugs to forward into her range. It's now or never. Which means only now because otherwise you die pathetically.

Voice of the Omen

I would rather die pathetically? I don't *want* to fight her because then it's just going to be *more* painful?

Voice of the Omen

Oh. Good. Great. Cool. You always say the greatest things that get us into situations I don't want to be in.

Narrator

The Presence, helpfully, doesn't wait for any confirmation you're in on her rules.

With one wrist broken and hers chained, the fight is clumsy and brutal. The Presence delivers a heavy strike to your ribs that certainly breaks more than a few and injures more than one part of your squishy body, and just as much you land one to the shattering sound of her clavicle. Her kick fractures bone. You fracture her arm.

It's ruthless and careful. Of knowing each other and dodging and weaving out of the way to take advantages of openings you see and don't realise in yourself.

Voice of the Omen

This is *awful*. Who let us do this? Who did this?

Good. Look at that. You're getting better already. I thought you'd crumble after the first hit.

Narrator

Your skull meets stone in a horrible, disorientating moment and you expect a hail of fists that doesn't come. Instead, the Presence stands above you, a critical eye looking down on you in assessment. Against everybody's better judgement, you wobble back to your feet, and the Presence gives you a nod before swinging again.

Stop letting your guard down because you're comfortable.

Voice of the Omen

Is she— She's *helping* us? Is that what that was? Did she just wait for us to get back up and prove we can still *fight* before she continued to beat us to death?

Narrator

Looks like it. Stop thinking.

You're getting distracted.

Narrator

A heavy punch. The sound of splinting bone, both from you and her. The blood that coats the floor is patches stained red. Broken ribs have pierced multiple places, but a glance at the Presence and her own wounds are taking a toll on her.

You fall to the ground. Shortly after, the heavy sound of a body hitting stone and the Presence—beaten bloody and grinning brightly—is dying beside you. That's...not how I expected this to go? I thought this would go differently? I mean, whatever works, but what?

Voice of the Omen

What if we didn't do that again?

Narrator

I don't think you can, so.

Voice of the Omen

You don't think—?

Oh, that was fun. I haven't had a good fight in *so long*. We should do this again. Outside, maybe. I remember some fields that were good sparring grounds. You've got so much to work on but I could— I could help. You and I. Sparring buddies.

Voice of the Omen

No way. I'm not doing that again. Nuh uh. You can't make me.

Maybe. Maybe we should. I'll look forward to it.

Voice of the Omen

I won't!

Narrator

You don't have time to respond. Or the strength to, actually. You might have punctured a lung somewhere in there. Sucks, but you've definitely killed her. She's not getting up from this either. Good news! The bad news is you're definitely dead.

Voice of the Omen

*What*?

Narrator

Sorry. Can't really do much about that. Everything goes dark and you die.

Voice of the Omen

Okay. Okay, maybe we can work with this. That's not such a bad compromise, is it? She doesn't leave, and we can keep her company.

Narrator

No! That's such a bad idea. That is the worst idea, what do you think you're doing? What is your plan here? This is a dumb plan. I don't like this plan.

Voice of the Omen

This is good! We both win. Kind of.

Narrator

What are you on? This isn't a win for either of us at all! Tell me you're kidding. Right now. Tell me you're joking about this.

Narrator

Good, because I had very choice words about that. They were chosen.

Narrator

The hallway is dim and hollow. Stripped bare of all the accessories it may have once had, its large windows boarded up tightly and rotting. The torch-lit sconces on the walls are put out, ash coating a layer of age-old soot like a shadow along the ground. A thick layer of dust has long settled on the ground and thin rays of light scatter onto the broken pieces of glass dotted through the hall.

The stone is cold on every side, chilling the air. As though the stone itself leeches upon the warmth of even yourself. At the end of the hall stands an empty arch, once a frame for a door that has thoroughly rotted through, exposing a dimly lit — though just barely lighter than the corridor — room.

If the Presence lives here, slaying her is probably doing her a favour.

Her voice — and, believe me, I'm surprised she can talk too — echoes down the hall.

Hello? Is that someone there? It's been so long since I've heard anyone around here. I- I can't believe it.

Please, please — come in, don't be a stranger. You're the first friendly person I've heard come in in...a while, actually.

Voice of the Omen

She sounds...very normal for a Presence.

Narrator

That's part of her charm. Or something.

Voice of the Omen

'Or something'. You're very convincing, did you know that?

Narrator

It's part of my charm.

O-oh. Alright! I don't bite, you don't have to sound so...awkward. Come on in. ...Please.

Voice of the Omen

Look! She even said she won't bite us!

Narrator

Normal people don't have to tell you they won't bite you. You do understand this, right. Normal people don't clarify they won't bite you because biting people is not a normal person thing to do. Have I mentioned that.

Voice of the Omen

I think you're just mean and pessimistic.

Narrator

How does that make sense? What about this are you not getting?

Voice of the Omen

And I'm ignoring you.

Narrator

Great. Just go down and talk to her and go be a sad sack of meat or whatever you're planning on doing down there.

Narrator

You can't just ask someone that.

I...I think so? You can come...check...if you're not that sure...?

Narrator

What'd I tell you. You can't just ask people that.

Voice of the Omen

You said that after we asked!

Narrator

You should've listened pre-emptively!

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean we should've—

Narrator

Just go inside already.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you're supposed to be telling her that?

Narrator

You're definitely not supposed to be telling her that. Certified. Bad idea. Cancel.

...Oh! I'd...prefer you maybe didn't, if that helps?

Voice of the Omen

Oh. Huh. That went down remarkably better than I thought.

Narrator

You know what also should be going down? You. Down those steps. To kill her. And no other reason.

Voice of the Omen

I don't like the way you said that.

Narrator

Just do it, stop complaining.

Narrator

This is almost worse than the not-taking-the-blade thing. What in the world was that. Of all the things. Of all of the things you could have said in this situation. You say that.

Voice of the Omen

You've been telling him to kill her!

Narrator

I just said you should probably be killing her to, oh, I don't know. Not end the world?

Voice of the Omen

That's basically the same thing.

O-oh. That's...good? Are you— Could you come in here? Please? This doesn't feel like a conversation we should have in different rooms.

Voice of the Omen

...She does have a point.

Narrator

Good news! You're going in there anyway.

Narrator

Oh, now you're being all complicit in the silent murderer act. Now. Instead of, I don't know, the point in time when you could've picked up the blade?
Crazy shout. I know.

Voice of the Omen

I already said we could go back for it if she turns out to be a crazy scary murder thing!

Narrator

Oh, great! If she turns out to be, not when she does because she is!

Voice of the Omen

You sound a lot more sure of that than you did a few minutes ago.

Narrator

I'm always sure of myself.

Voice of the Omen

Oooookay, nevermind.

Narrator

I told you to bring the sharp stabby thing because it is sharp and good for stabbing, and you walked past it. Deliberately.

Voice of the Omen

That wasn't my choice! That was his!

Narrator

You're the one who kept telling him to talk to the big scary Presence first instead of doing the job he's supposed to. Not that I really care, but the world ending sounds bad and I like being in the world.

Voice of the Omen

(Intelligible grumbling)

Narrator

The room is made of bare stone. The kind of empty that you only get when you definitely never got around to decorating a room and instead left it entirely empty except for the dust and occasional bench or tool needed for upkeep. A single unobstructed window sits high on the far wall as the only light source of the room, though its light is far more powerful than it should be, considering the time of day outside. That's annoying.

Chained to that far wall by her wrist, sitting up with an eager and relieved glint to abyssal and glitter-ridden eyes, is the Presence.

Voice of the Omen

She's so — normal. So much more normal than I...expected, actually. You made her sound like an actual monster.

Narrator

I mean. She's supposed to be. Did you not note the eyes? I specifically mentioned the eyes.

Voice of the Omen

Well, I can see that. But she's just normal. You said she looks excited too?

Narrator

I guess you can take it that way. Stop letting it get to you. I signed you up for murder so the faster you talk the more murder we can get to later.

Voice of the Omen

We already made the decision not to do the murder just yet, though.

Narrator

Too bad. My rules.

Voice of the Omen

What—

Narrator

You've stood in awkward silence for long enough that the wonder has worn off. Look at that, you're boring now. Great job. The Presence slumps back against the wall with a deep sigh of relief.

You're real. You're real!

Sorry, I'm usually so much better at this, but I'm just so— You were so quiet I thought I was making it up, but you're there!

Voice of the Omen

...Are you sure she's evil?

Narrator

Who said anything about evil?

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry—?

Please, sit! Or stand, now that I think about it. I know the stone's cold in here and sitting isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. I'd say you could go looking for a chair outside, but I'm pretty sure everything's been stolen by now…

...

Sorry. I'm just...excited to have a visitor. It's a lot like a prison in this room, believe it or not. Cold, weirdly damp sometimes, noises from down a hallway I can't see, and I'm chained to a wall. Look—

Narrator

She holds up the arm held by the heavy chain and gives it a hard tug. Her expression is hard to parse from this side of the room as the chain clanks and pulls taught but comes no closer to breaking. The slack falls back to the ground with a sharp, disconcerting noise like splintering glass.

Doesn't even budge. I'd say it makes living convenient when I don't have to decide what to do if it wasn't so...trapping. I don't even know what I did to get here or why I deserve this, but it...sure must have been something. ...I think.

Voice of the Omen

See! She doesn't know why she's here!

Narrator

That is the most guilty admission there is. You know that, right. You do know that.

Voice of the Omen

I thought the most guilty admission is pleading guilty?

Narrator

Second most guilty admission there is. Stop arguing with me. I'm right, you're wrong, the Presence is guilty of something.

Voice of the Omen

I think you're guilty.

Narrator

Oh yeah? On what grounds?

Voice of the Omen

These ones. The one under us.

Narrator

What—?!

I probably shouldn't have brought that up. I don't have a lot of answers to my questions of what I'm doing here either. Unless you know? Do you know anything about this? It's okay if you don't, I'm sure I'll figure it out—eventually.

...

You're the...first person I've talked to in a long time. Wow. This is—very surreal, all of a sudden. I don't usually get to ask things. This is...new. Am I the only one that feels weird about this? I feel suddenly very weird about this.

Voice of the Omen

She's definitely rambling a lot.

Narrator

I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact you haven't said anything and stood there staring at her. Just wondering.

Voice of the Omen

Do you do anything but be mean?

Narrator

Have you not heard me narrating? The Presence keeps regarding you with curiosity that's slowly becoming awkward. Look at that! I just did it.

Voice of the Omen

You know what I mean.

Narrator

Mm... No, don't think I do. I'm the most positive person ever. With that in mind—

Narrator

—I think you should not be doing that? Are you mad? What are you doing?!

Voice of the Omen

Too late.

Narrator

Oh, I wonder what gave that away? Fine. You go and sit down in front of the Presence. Are you happy? The stone is cold and it sucks and you suck too.
The Presence smiles awkwardly at you. Wrongly.

Voice of the Omen

It's...kind of like she forgot how to.

I didn't actually expect you to sit down. I'm sorry, I'd give you something better but it's all empty rooms from the front doors to...just about everywhere.

I don't— I'm not really sure what to talk about, now, actually. That's a little unfortunate. I thought I'd come up with something.

Voice of the Omen

You're right! We don't even know her name!

Narrator

If you'd stop jumping in. The Presence hesitates before answering, a look of uncertainty flashing across her face.

Voice of the Omen

Oh. That's...tragic. She doesn't even remember her name.

Narrator

Or she doesn't have one and she's making one up on the spot. I bet you, right now. She's making one up.

It's...nice of you to give me a name at all. I don't think I even remember what I was called. It's been so long since I've even talked to somebody that I think it's...slipped my mind.

You can keep calling me 'Presence', if you want. Or maybe we could make something up? I like making things up. Had a lot of time practicing doing that.

Narrator

The Presence chuckles awkwardly and nervously.

Voice of the Omen

And you're not going to say how you were wrong?

Narrator

I've never been wrong ever. Moving on.

Voice of the Omen

You can't keep doing that and expecting to get away with it.

Narrator

That'd be a shame if I knew what you thought I was getting away with. But I don't. Moving on.

—I'll keep that in mind.

Narrator

The Presence's brow furrows in thought. I'm in camp 'she's going to lie to you', if anyone's wondering.

Voice of the Omen

Could you go five minutes without the commentary?

Narrator

I could, but it wouldn't be very fun, would it?

I'm...not sure. I just know it, you know? I knew there was an outside of this room but I don't even remember what that looks like, but I still knew it existed. And I know the outside exists, but there's something...weird about it.

I'm going to sound crazy. But I just know. There's something weird about everywhere. Everywhere but...this room, almost, but there's something wrong here too but it's so much less-weird than the rest of the castle that it's wrapped back around to normal? I guess that only really works with a specific baseline of normal and you came from outside so our normals won't be that similar.

Voice of the Omen

It's almost like…

Yes! Maybe! I'm not sure, I don't know how you knew this was here. But it's like that! There's— You know something's somewhere, not what it looks like. And you must've known someone was here, right? I know that there's things missing from this place. Something... I can't explain it. I know things are gone but I don't...know. Which is contradictory and it's making things unnecessarily hard to explain!

I know something was here. I know...people were here. That's the only way I could have been locked up. But I don't know. It's all blurry.

(sigh) Sorry. I'd give a better answer if I had any. It always made sense to me until I had to explain it. So thanks for that.

Narrator

Alright. What do we think, boys? Truth or lie? I'm personally thinking lie.

Voice of the Omen

Truth. Hundred percent truth. Nobody gets that frustrated over trying to explain something that you know but don't know without being a little genuine about it.

Narrator

Ah-ha! But you think 'a little bit' genuine! So she could still be lying and you agree with me. Poll closed, no more votes.

Voice of the Omen

That's not what I said! Just because someone's not telling the truth doesn't mean they're lying!

Narrator

That is what lying is. Definitionally, lying is not telling the truth.

Voice of the Omen

You have to actively lie to be lying! That's the point!

Narrator

Which she is doing. By telling you inaccurate information.

Voice of the Omen

Or she just struggles to put it into words? She's been down here for how long without people to talk to? I wouldn't be surprised if she struggles to explain things when she was the only one who had to understand them.

Narrator

I wouldn't be surprised if you struggle to understand them either, because clearly me explaining that the world is going to end if you don't slay her is something only I'm understanding here.

Voice of the Omen

Doesn't that mean that you're the one failing to explain it? Or lie to us?

Narrator

I'd never do anything of the sort. Moving on in a non-suspicious way.

Voice of the Omen

(Incoherent mumbling)

Narrator

Do you have any tact? Genuinely asking. Was being told she's going to end the world not enough for you? Do I need to tell you she, like, kicks sad wolves or something?

Voice of the Omen

Just the sad ones?

Narrator

Depends.

Voice of the Omen

Depends? On what?

Narrator

On what one makes you hate her more.

Voice of the Omen

Come on. Seriously?

Nope. Not a clue. I'd tell you if I did, but all I know is I'm in here and they...maybe had a reason. Which is the problem. Because neither of us know what that reason was.

I'd like to hope there was a reason, at least. It'd suck if I spent all this time locked in some castle chamber just because someone wanted to on a whim. Which is sounding...more and more possible now that I've said it and I've decided not to think about it too hard. Because if I do, I might do...something. I don't know what. But something!

Narrator

Oh, I know what the problem was.

Voice of the Omen

Is the problem she was going to end the world?

Narrator

And still can!

Voice of the Omen

Of course. What else did I expect.

I don't know. Maybe there's something in the other rooms that might tell you something. If there's anything left. All I can feel is the ruins and empty spaces. Maybe you'd have better luck. Being able to get up and see them and all.

Narrator

Alright. World's doomed, boys. Pack it up.

Voice of the Omen

For the first time, I'm on his side. What?

Narrator

Yeah, exactly. What?

Narrator

Why would she need to know that? Why? Why would she need to know that she's capable of ending the world? Is that necessary? Was any of that necessary? Was it?

That's definitely...not what I expected? I don't particularly feel like ending the world? This room got lonely and all but I didn't ever really want to end the world about it. I kind of live in it? I'd probably prefer it doesn't end.

Voice of the Omen

See! She doesn't want to destroy the world!

Narrator

'Not wanting to' and 'will' aren't the same and I don't redact any of those statements. She can end the world and will. It's not even destroying it, it's ending it.

Voice of the Omen

Same thing, isn't it?

Narrator

To the unenlightened, sure.

I can definitely try to not end the world? I don't know how much that helps but, for what it's worth.

Narrator

'Or so you're told'. Is that all I am to you? I thought we had something, boys.

Voice of the Omen

It's hard to have things when you're trying to actively tell us to murder someone.

Narrator

And? What's a little bit of murder of world-enders between boys?

Why would I want to end the world? Doesn't that sound a little extreme? I don't even know how I'd end the world, much less why I'd want to. I don't hate being in here so much I'd take it out on the whole world.

Voice of the Omen

But she does hate it in here. Which I think is important. And she doesn't even know how! Usually someone trying to end the world would know how they're going to end the world, don't they?

Narrator

Right, because 'can' and 'doesn't know how' are that different. She doesn't have to know how to end the world to be able to do it. She just can. Somehow. Stop asking questions.

Narrator

You thought so since when? How did I miss that?

Voice of the Omen

I thought you were on my side!

But why would I want to end the world? I don't— It's not nice being in here, but I don't want to end the world because I'm stuck here. I like the world. Kind of. Or, what I know of it. I live in the world. Why would I want it to end?

Narrator

No, hang on, how did I miss that? Since when were you team 'she'll end the world'? I feel like I missed so much in one sentence. That was awful.

You've put me under pressure now. Now I feel like I have to explain myself. I don't have that much to explain myself for to begin with. I don't want to end the world. I don't even know how I'd do that. I don't feel like I have the potential to end the world? Even if I did, why would I do that?

Voice of the Omen

She has a point. Why would she want to end the world if she lives in it?

Narrator

Grudges. Because she can. Because she's lying to you. Revenge. Can I just repeat: because she's lying to you.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think this is a lie.

Narrator

And I think you're really bad at seeing when you're being lied to.

Narrator

She hesitates before responding, frowning to herself.

I'm...not that sure, actually. I never really wondered. I guess I just never got hungry or thirsty? That would make the most sense, wouldn't it?

Narrator

Doubt clouds her expression. Good. You've stumped her, look at that! She didn't expect you to ask. Ha.

Voice of the Omen

Or she really doesn't know. You're so negative.

Narrator

Oi, who's trying to keep what alive again?

Voice of the Omen

Me, and the Presence.

Narrator

Right. Well, me, and the whole world.

Maybe whoever locked me in here...did this to me? So I wouldn't die in here? But that doesn't make sense. What's the point of locking me in here and leaving me to live here alone?!

Narrator

The chain clinks as the Presence raises her arms around herself in a facsimile of a hug. Her expression is complicated—frustration that wars with despair and uncertainty.
Don't you dare reach over and hug her. I'm just saying. I won't be describing that if it happens and I'll never forget you put me through it.

Wait, really? You're helping me? You'd help me get out of this thing?

Narrator

Nothing. You can't do anything about them. That's kind of the point. You're supposed to have the very obviously described sharp thing out front and use it to make her from a very alive thing into a very dead thing. How is this difficult? Is this difficult? Are you just being difficult, is that it?

Voice of the Omen

She hasn't done anything wrong! I say we should free her. No harm, no foul.

Narrator

Yes! Big harm, lots of foul! What about this isn't making it through? Do I need to start speaking louder?

I didn't even think— I didn't think you'd want to help. I— Yeah, look if you need to.

Narrator

You disgust me and you suck. Ugh. Fine.
The chain is made of an unyielding, black material, a sheer cold radiating off of it in thin wisps now that you have a closer look at it. It burns to the touch you give it a tentative tug and leaves your fingers numb, the bones aching. The chain links are thick and show no evidence of wearing. Trying to break it would be a pointless endeavour. Can we go now?

Voice of the Omen

Obviously not! We just haven't figured out how they work yet. There's a keyhole in the cuff, so there must be some way to pick it, isn't there?

I'm guessing you didn't happen to find a key on the way in? I suppose someone looting the place could have taken one.

Voice of the Omen

There's no harm looking though, right? Maybe it's in a room we haven't checked! We didn't get much chance to explore thanks to a certain someone.

Narrator

Don't blame me! You're here for a purpose and I'm here to keep you accountable so you do said purpose. Don't shoot the messenger.

Voice of the Omen

You still corralled us into the room. There could've been other things to explore! Maybe we'd have had the key by now!

Narrator

You suck.

Voice of the Omen

Now that's just uncalled for.

Narrator

You can try look, but I can guarantee you you're not gonna find anything.

Oh, take your time. I've already...been in here long enough, I don't mind waiting a little longer.

...Don't take too long though.

Narrator

She gives you an uncertain look. As though now she's said it, she's suddenly begun doubting you. If there was ever a time where killing her won't hurt her feelings that you keep being worried about...

Voice of the Omen

But we're not going to stab her.

Narrator

But you're not. Because you both suck and you hate me.

Narrator

The Presence stares at you blankly before smiling cryptically.

I can think of a few things.

Voice of the Omen

...I suppose it was a little demanding to expect someone named 'Presence' to not be a little cryptic every so often.

Narrator

Is this not a warning sign? To either of you? Is this normal to you somehow?

Voice of the Omen

No. She's just... She's been cooperative this far. She didn't even want to escape until he mentioned it!

Narrator

'Not mentioning it' and 'not wanting to' can coexist! Just because someone doesn't say something doesn't mean they don't think about it. Maybe she was waiting until she knew you were easy to manipulate into helping her. Which you are.

Voice of the Omen

What's so bad about that?

Narrator

Do you hear yourself? Genuinely. Do you hear yourself right now right in this minute. 'What's wrong with that?' I swear.
She's staring at you. Just go do something.

Narrator

Listen. I'm gonna level with you, boys. I said I'd keep you accountable and I'm keeping you accountable. Either you leave here intending to stab her, or you're stuck in here. Sorry, boys.

Voice of the Omen

You're controlling this?! Can't you just let us out? We're not even doing anything wrong!

Narrator

Can't. If I could or wanted to, I mean, I'd do it. But I also don't really want to.

Voice of the Omen

Are you kidding me?

Narrator

Nope. Perfectly serious. Don't you hear how serious I am? I'm so serious.

Narrator

It's silent outside. Nobody responds. It doesn't even sound like anybody's walking away.
Listen, boys, can't we make this all easier on ourselves and do the thing we were specifically here for?

Voice of the Omen

No. No, not until we have no other option. She's innocent!

Narrator

Are you still on that? She's supposed to manipulate you into thinking she's innocent. If you get her out of this room, she'll probably disembowel you faster than usual as a thank you present.

Voice of the Omen

There weren't any bodies in the hall. If she was dangerous, there'd be evidence of a fight.

Narrator

And all the furniture is gone. People could have cleaned up the blood. She's been in here for long enough that if she's killed anyone—which she definitely will even if she hasn't yet—then it probably got cleaned up.

Voice of the Omen

But you're wrong. She's a good person, I just know it.

Narrator

Well, you're wrong and also blind. Just go back already.

I can't believe it. Those bastards. They locked you in here too, didn't they? Slammed the door on our faces. Because you wanted to help. Just what do they think…

Narrator

The Presence's frustration bleeds into hurt, lips twisting into a frown. Her hands, folded as they are on her lap, bend into a crushing grip, arms trembling with the effort it takes to contain herself as she lapses into silence.
I'm telling you. She's not planning anything good, and now you're stuck in this room. Alone. With a thing that could kill you.

Voice of the Omen

No, no, no. We can find a way out of this. Surely. We can find a way out of this.

Narrator

...I can't do much, boys, but I can say this.

A sharp clatter of metal interrupts the silence of the room as a blade hits cold stone floor. It glints in the dim light supplied by the single window. There's one solution to the problem we're facing and we know it. You know it.

Voice of the Omen

Don't. Don't, it's not worth it, please.

Voice of the Omen

No, no, c'mon man. We can do this. We can think about it. We can do this without stabbing her. Come on, we're so close. Can't we- I don't know. Pick the door with it? Destroy the latch? Wedge it open?

Narrator

Stop making this harder than it needs to be. I can respect the dedication but dedication isn't going to save you from being locked in here forever until she randomly decides she's had enough and kills us and then, you know. The world.

Voice of the Omen

I refuse to let those be our only two options. I won't let it.

Narrator

The Presence is staring at you. Just do it. Now. She can't stop you.

Voice of the Omen

Think about this!

Narrator

There's nothing to think about. Get it over with already so we can leave and go about our merry lives in a world that isn't about to end.

Narrator

What?

Voice of the Omen

See!

Narrator

You—

Voice of the Omen

I knew you'd get it!

Narrator

What do you mean save her?

Voice of the Omen

It means we're saving her! No more of your little tricks, no more forced choices. She's innocent and she's not going to end the world just because you said so. Now describe it!

Narrator

No. That has to be some kind of mistake.

Voice of the Omen

Nope. You heard as well as I did.

Narrator

I hate you. I hate both of you and I hope this goes horribly wrong. I hope the world ends and you realise it's ending and you realise I was right all along. I'm going to tell you I told you so.

Voice of the Omen

That's so grim.

Narrator

And dooming the world isn't?!

Voice of the Omen

We're not dooming the world. We're saving an innocent person.

Narrator

You can't be serious.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, I'm so serious.

Narrator

You cannot.

Voice of the Omen

I so can.

Narrator

No. No, you can't. I'm not allowing it.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean you're not—

Narrator

I mean that I'm not allowing it. I let you keep doing this and that's kind of on me, but I can't actually let you go through with doing this.

Voice of the Omen

You don't get to decide that!

Narrator

I do now.

The Presence eyes you with concern at your silence.

Are you alright? I have a plan if you don't think that'll work on the chains, but it might be a little...graphic?

Voice of the Omen

Whatever you're about to do, don't do it. I'm begging, don't do it.

Narrator

I'm sorry, but I have to.

Voice of the Omen

No.

Narrator

Tightening your grip on the blade, the Presence doesn't have enough time to dodge as your arm raises mechanically and drives the blade through her chest. Immediately, it feels as though your ribs cave in as she lands a solid punch to the centre of your chest with a horrible, wet crack. Blood stains her front as she tilts back against the wall, scrambling for what little strength she has.

Why would you do that?! You said you were going to help! You were going to help me, why did you... What did…

Voice of the Omen

She was innocent! We were going to help her, but instead you—!

Narrator

I'm saving the world from all three of you.

Voice of the Omen

You knew she'd kill us!

Narrator

Eh. It was a fifty-fifty. Either she died and you got out, or you both died and the world lives on another day. It's not my job to decide if you live or not. Hoped you would, but you see how that's turned out.

Voice of the Omen

No! No I don't think I do know!

Narrator

Oh. Well that just sucks for you, doesn't it?

I thought... I thought you'd help. I really thought you'd help…

Which one of us is the idiot, then?

Voice of the Omen

Wait, what does that mean?

Narrator

It doesn't matter.

Voice of the Omen

No, I think it does matter when someone obviously dying implies that their murderer is also an idiot. I think that matters quite a lot, actually.

Narrator

It doesn't matter. You don't have time to worry about it anyway because you have a big hole in your chest and about twelve broken ribs stabbing into all your inside parts. I'm surprised you're alive still, honestly.

Voice of the Omen

Honestly. I'd rather we'd died before hearing her say that because now I'm worried.

Narrator

The Presence slumps to the floor, her blood now puddling on the stone floor. She trembles with the effort of trying to take the blade out of her chest, weakly grasping at the hilt. Her betrayed glare burns in the side of your face as you, too, fall to the floor in your own pool of blood.

I won't forget this. Whatever you do, no matter how long, I won't forget what you've done here.

Voice of the Omen

That! That's concerning!

Narrator

I really hoped this would turn out better for us, boys, but I had to do something or you'd have doomed us all. The good news about it is that you don't have to think about it for long, because everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

You are? I mean. Yes you are! Good.

The— What?

Narrator

Good job announcing that, by the way. Real subtle. At least you can still make a sane decision.

Voice of the Omen

I didn't agree to this!

Narrator

That's because she got to you. That's what she does. Kind of the whole point of being locked away where there aren't people.

Voice of the Omen

No. No, I won't stand for this. We can still turn this around.

Narrator

Good! One of you can actually listen to sense. Maybe we're not so screwed after all.

Voice of the Omen

No! Come on, there's no way you actually think she's that bad.

Narrator

It's probably a bad thing you told her you're going back to get something sharp, but I'm sure that's fine. She can't exactly leave about it and there's only so many ways you can dodge a knife.

Voice of the Omen

But we don't have to stab her. We don't have to. We might be able to do something about those chains or something if we have it!

Narrator

Are we brushing over that you're saving her when you don't trust her? Is this logic making sense to you? Don't tell me it's making sense to you.

Voice of the Omen

Even if we don't trust her she can still deserve to be let out. It must be awful sitting in that room alone all that time.

Narrator

Yes! That's exactly the point! She was alone in there for how long? It doesn't matter if she wants to end the world or not, she can and she has more than enough motive to do it if she really wanted to. Her, the world-ending threat you're specifically here to kill. And you don't want to because you think she should go outside?

Voice of the Omen

Well. Yeah, I guess. If she's been in there that long, doesn't she deserve to go outside a little? If I was called a world-ending threat and shut from being outside for a long time I'd want to go outside and not get murdered too.

Narrator

You are insufferable.

Voice of the Omen

Hey! What are you suggesting?

Narrator

That you listen to logic and don't keep suggesting we free the world-ending Presence from the castle she was obviously left in?

Voice of the Omen

But she's been trapped.

Narrator

I'm never going to make sense to you. Ugh. But it's already been decided you're killing her, so it doesn't matter, but let it be known you and your principles annoy me. Freeing the trapped-in-a-castle-in-the-middle-of-nowhere Presence that can end the world? Seriously? I'm glad one of you has a working brain because my goodness.

You leave the chamber and ignore the Presence staring at you apprehensively as you leave. Good job for that, by the way. Idiot. At least you're planning to stab her with the knife because the kind of mortal embarrassment of staring at her and then deciding to leave causes is probably worse than if you'd been saving her.

The hallway hasn't changed. Boarded windows, thin beams of light, lots of dust. You go back into the entrance hall and take the blade from off the table, and you hold it stupidly. Do you honestly not know how to hold one of these? You look like an idiot. There. I said it. You look stupid with a knife.

Voice of the Omen

Is this what you're doing now because he listened to you over me?

Narrator

Yes. No. Shut up. It's funny. Shut up and let me do my job.

The heavy doors of the chamber are wide open as you return. The Presence hasn't moved, but she looks tense as she stares at you and at the knife you've returned with. She doesn't make any outward movements to back away but she doesn't look any more comfortable with you as you move closer to her, expression cautious, but steeled.

In theory, getting up and leaving probably gave her enough time to reconcile that she's going to either be alone forever again or have to fight for her life. But I'm sure you're plenty competent enough to make up for the absolute lack of sharp object proficiency, because genuinely how are you able to hold that thing like that?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know. Skill?

Narrator

That's a dumb skill and you should be ashamed of yourselves.
The Presence looks at you nervously. Her knuckles are pale and she doesn't quite hide the uncertainty in her eyes as she draws herself to sit straight, tense.

You went all the way back out just for that? What was the point in that?

Voice of the Omen

...We could still do this. We can still choose not to. It's not too late, we haven't stabbed her yet.

Narrator

Oh, could you now?

Voice of the Omen

Is this the hill you're dying on?

Narrator

Well, you're not the one who makes the decisions, so yes.

You're not planning on using that, are you?

Narrator

The Presence's eyes narrow in suspicion. She's already prepared for you to stab her, it looks like. A little annoying and entirely avoidable if you'd just done the obvious thing back out there in the first place and took the damn thing. But it happens. You have it now and you can still do the job.

Narrator

What.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

No — WHAT?

Voice of the Omen

WHAT???

Narrator

What do you MEAN? You were so on board a second ago! What happened to that?! What happened to team 'let's go we're killing her'? What do you think you're doing?! You idiot!

Voice of the Omen

I'm— I'm speechless.

Narrator

How do you think I feel? That's— What do you mean you're saving her? I gave you good reviews and everything! What. You're— UGH.

Voice of the Omen

You're kidding. You're not. You're not kidding. You went back for it and you're saving her. You chose to do that. You, what? Lied?

Narrator

I'm GETTING to it.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you are, mate.

Narrator

I am. I'm getting to it and I'm not furious at all about this. Not even a little bit. Not at all. No reason to be abjectly furious because someone thought it'd be funny to lie to us. You're both stupid.

Voice of the Omen

You sound like you're going to end the world instead.

Narrator

FINE.

You reach for the chain. It's a blackened steel that warps slightly under the dim light, cold enough to burn and too thick to cut through. The Presence's shoulders sag with only a brief sense of relief. She tugs her arm and watches ruefully as the slack moves to accommodate.

Already tried, remember? It's not going to break any time soon if I've been here this long and it hasn't worn itself down. You could always try—

Narrator

She stops herself. Are you realising yet this is an awful decision and you should be ashamed of yourselves?

Voice of the Omen

The chain is that cold? I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been the one stuck with it.

Narrator

He's not even listening. Are you kidding.

How bad are you with blood?

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry?

I have an idea, but I don't want you passing out on me here.

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry???
Hey, how come she's asking us if we're okay with blood and you didn't ask if we were okay with murdering people?

Narrator

Because she's not a people, she's a Presence. And it doesn't matter if you're okay with blood if the blood spilled will save the world. But you're not even going to try to kill her. Because you suck.

Ugh. The Presence doesn't wait for you to respond. She moves and grabs onto the arm holding the blade—so tightly it feels like she's trying to bend your arm itself as she lowers her other arm to the floor and— Hold up. She what?

Voice of the Omen

Don't tell me she's going to do what I think she's going to do. No. No, there must be some other option, this can't be—

Narrator

Holding your arm with more force than you can escape from, almost crushing the bone, the Presence brings the blade down upon the arm she has against the floor. The blade parts the skin quickly and cleanly, surgically as she changes her grip from your arm to the grip you have around the blade. She's keeping it in place as blood oozes out of the wound; at first sluggishly and then in a fountain of red that pools under both of you.

The blade cuts through muscle. The Presence doesn't once waver or grimace at the pain, doesn't so much as blink against the rapid loss of blood as arteries and vessels tear apart as she precisely uses the blade in your hand to hack away at the limb.

Voice of the Omen

No. No no no no no no there's no way.

Narrator

The blade stops. Grates. The Presence's eyes narrow, her jaw tensing.

Don't pass out.

Narrator

She presses harder down on your hand. You feel something in your hand crack in more places than one. You don't know what bones she's just broken besides the sickening crunch of her own as the blade hacks it into shrapnel of bone and marrow and a sickening pool of hot blood.

Her grip is gone in the next second. She leans back, hardly a sweat on her brow, as she gives you one last look and takes hold of her partially severed wrist and tugs. Stringy viscera of meat and sinew pull away as the Presence continues pulling, eyes wild staring down until the bone cracks again in a deafening crunch.

You don't look as she pries the rest of the meat of her arm away. It sounds like you can hear it tearing despite this. Hot blood pools under you still. Your aching hand is covered in it. A thump resounds on the ground before you, followed shortly by the sharp clanging of metal against stone and a relieved gasp.

Voice of the Omen

I'm going to be sick.

Well?

Narrator

The Presence looks down at you, smiling. Her arm is entirely severed, deadweight on the ground and still oozing blood onto the floor. The Presence doesn't seem to care much for the fact what remains of her arm is still bleeding out as she, yet again, ignores your silence to instead pull you up.
Despite this, despite it all, she smiles at you with relief. This is deeply horrifying on all fronts.

Sorry, I couldn't risk you backing out last minute. I'll make it up to you somehow when we get out of here, how about that?

Narrator

Comparatively gentler to her prior grip on you, she gives you a very light punch to the chest. More of an acknowledging tap. It's almost a little mocking. I feel a little mocked. Do you feel mocked?

Voice of the Omen

I'm still going to be sick. What was that?

Narrator

That was...

Voice of the Omen

I don't like that you trailed off there. I don't like that. I don't like anything that happened in the last five minutes.

Narrator

That—

The Presence walks past you. She smiles at you, eyebrow raised.

You coming with?

Voice of the Omen

If it gets us away from this room. Anything if it gets us out of this room. Nothing good happens in this room. Get us out of this room right now.

...Where'd he go—?

Narrator

The Presence steps closer, concern overtaking her amusement.

Are you good? You look all...off. You're not about to pass out now the hard parts are done, are you?

Voice of the Omen

You sound different. Why do you sound different?

Narrator

I'm not supposed to let this happen.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Voice of the Omen

What was THAT? What do you think you're doing?! Since when could you—

Narrator

Doing what I have to do! The Presence can't leave the castle and I'm not letting the world end like this.

Voice of the Omen

You can't just decide what we do like this—

Narrator

But I can and I have to. You don't understand it but I have to.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean I don't—

Narrator

Concerned for you, the Presence doesn't notice your hand moving until the blade is already embedded in her side. Hurt flashes across her face before an encompassing rage consumes it. You move without command; adjusting your grip on the blade she she strikes out against you, you tug the blade through her skin just as she aims a bone-crushing punch to your ribs.

Voice of the Omen

Stop! Stop! We didn't mean it, we didn't want to! What do you think you're doing?! You can't force decisions!

Narrator

Watch me.

The Presence stumbles to one knee, clutching the open wound in her side, gulping down gasps through pain. She has minutes left. The blade hit something important.

You.

Voice of the Omen

What have you done. What have you done what have you done what have you done.

You did that just to betray me? What kind of idiot are you?

Narrator

She coughs. Blood wets her lips. Your vision blackens at the edges, grip on the blade still clutched in your fractured hand loosening. The ribs pierced the lungs. You have seconds.

The Presence won't be leaving this room. She slumps to the ground, eyes alight with the agony of the wound. You fall shortly after.

Voice of the Omen

I can't believe this. I can't believe this, I can't believe you'd do this, I can't believe you'd—

Narrator

It's...for the better.

Voice of the Omen

No. No, I don't believe any of that. You got weird there and then you made us stab her and now we're—

Narrator

Dying. You're dying.

You're so stupid. Why would you…

Voice of the Omen

I don't know.

Narrator

You don't get a chance to respond. The room gets darker, yourself fainter. You saved the world.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think that's true at all.

Narrator

Sorry, boys. Everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

Oh. That took a disturbing little amount of convincing. I thought you'd have a lot more pushback.

Voice of the Omen

I have enough pushback for the both of us. What are you doing! We don't have to slay her at all. She's innocent.

Narrator

What about any of that makes you think she's innocent? Do I need to reiterate that, again, she is going to end the world? Do we not get the 'end of the world' thing. Is this the problem we keep encountering here?

Voice of the Omen

I get what 'end of the world' means, but I just don't think she's going to be the one to do it. How can one person end the world? It doesn't make sense to me.

Narrator

She's not a person, she's a Presence. Because you need that reminder. A person might be able to end the world, but a Presence can.

Voice of the Omen

What even is a Presence? What about that makes them so capable of ending the world?

Narrator

A Presence is her, and she will end the world if she gets out of this castle. That's a warning and a threat, not a vague suggestion because I felt like saying it. Even if she didn't know how to end it, she's definitely more than capable of finding out.

Voice of the Omen

But you were so surprised that she was going to end the world out there.

Narrator

Just because I didn't know she was going to end the world originally doesn't mean she wasn't capable of it. I knew there was something at stake here, otherwise she could've been left well enough alone back in that room, but I didn't expect the end of the world of all things.

Okay. Listen. I'm just here to enforce the facts that be and the facts are that, apparently, she's going to end the world if she gets out. So can we hurry up a bit and get that blade and go back and stop her from ending the world?

Voice of the Omen

I don't like this. Something about this is off. No, everything about this is off. I can't convince you to not be set on this, can I?

Narrator

Nope, too late, snooze you lose. The Presence watches you leave with a furrow in her brow. Around you, nothing about the hallway is different at all, and the blade is exactly where you left it the first time and made all of our jobs difficult for absolutely no reason besides being difficult. You take it. Finally.

Voice of the Omen

No more turning back now.

Narrator

Sucks to be you, I suppose. You're the one who convinced him not to take it anyway, so now we both win.

Voice of the Omen

Winning would be we don't take it at all and free her.

Narrator

Okay, well. Shut up. Just go back already and we can get this over with and go back to our lives in a world that's not about to end.

The air of the hall on the way back is heavy and oppressive. The dust is cloying and sticks to the back of your throat as you breathe. The thin light between the beams is gone, replaced by the same dim light and shadows of the chamber. The chill threads through your limbs as though it's leeching all the warmth it can take. The heavy metal of the chamber doors burn as you push them open.

The Presence sits, tense, watching you through curious eyes as you enter.

Voice of the Omen

That's almost worse. You made it worse. How did you make it worse?

Narrator

Okay, well. Shut up. Just go back already and we can get this over with and go back to our lives in a world that's not about to end.

The air of the hall on the way back is heavy and oppressive. The dust is cloying and sticks to the back of your throat as you breathe. The thin light between the beams is gone, replaced by the same dim light and shadows of the chamber. The chill threads through your limbs as though it's leeching all the warmth it can take. The heavy metal of the chamber doors burn as you push them open.

The Presence sits, tense, watching you through curious eyes as you enter.

Voice of the Omen

That's almost worse. You made it worse. How did you make it worse? Do you know how stressed I am that we're doing this?

Narrator

It's not that stressful. You just have to stab her and be done with it. How hard can it be to stab someone anyway? It's not like she's able to go far.

Voice of the Omen

That doesn't make it any less stressful!

Narrator

Oh, boohoo.
The Presence is still watching you. She's taken notice of the blade now. Good job, you gave away the only elements of surprise you had, idiot.

That's what you went back to get? I don't know what you think it's going to do, but whatever floats your boat.

Voice of the Omen

Nothing about this makes me feel any less uneasy.

I guess it does look useful.

Narrator

She looks away in thought. It's now or never.

Voice of the Omen

I have never been this anxious. This is nauseating.

Narrator

You rush forward, blade held tight. For all the distance there is between the door and the Presence, she makes very little effort to move; she barely looks anything more than confused as you sprint at her.

Weirdly enough, the blade sinks into her heart with no resistance. The blade cuts through flesh with ease and the Presence doesn't make a single move to dodge or retaliate. Her body reels back with the force of the blade plunged into her chest, eyes wide with confusion and realisation. I'll be damned, that actually was easy. I for sure thought she was going to put up so much more of a fight than this.

What...? What did you do? Why did you do that?

Voice of the Omen

Oh, she's going to kill us she's going to kill us she's going to kill us she's going to kill us.

Narrator

Calm down already. She's already been stabbed, what more do you think she's going to do to you? Pathetically glower?

Voice of the Omen

It can't be this easy. It's never this easy.

What was the point of that? Why would you...? I- I mean, I guess I get this is what this is for, but why would you use it on me?

Voice of the Omen

I hate this. I hate this, I should make it known, I hate this and the direction this is taking. She's just been stabbed, she shouldn't be curious!

Narrator

I don't know. This wasn't supposed to happen, she's supposed to be dead by now. Well, she's slumped over now and her whole front is stained in blood, but she's not dead yet. How is she not dead yet? What's going on? Okay, no. This is right weird.

Voice of the Omen

Just weird!?

Narrator

How else do you want me to describe it? It's weird. I'd call it horrible but she's still dying, just extremely...slowly...?

Voice of the Omen

That's not comforting.

Narrator

None of this is! I'm just as weirded out as you are. I promise you, this is just as weird for me as it is for you.

I wonder…

Voice of the Omen

...Wonder? Wonder what? I don't like the word wonder in this specific scenario. I don't like this.
...
Where did he go?

Narrator

There's no shot.

Voice of the Omen

What? No shot at what?

Narrator

You're not going to believe this.

Voice of the Omen

Are you going to stop being vague or do I have to guess what I'm not about to like, because I don't like any of this and I don't think I want to know how it gets worse.

Narrator

The Presence eyes the blade where it's planted in her heart, weakly holding herself up with the wall behind her. There's a genuine wonder behind her eyes as she reaches up and pulls the blade out—

Voice of the Omen

She does WHAT.

What do you think this does to you then?

Narrator

—and throws herself forward. A sharp pain cuts through your chest as the blade now sits in your heart. Boys, I'm not going to lie, this is bad.

Voice of the Omen

SHE DOES WHAT.

Narrator

She's bleeding out, slumped to the ground, and now you've gone from firmly 'living' to 'seconds off being dead'. I'm honestly speechless, I'll be real with you, boys. I did not see this one coming.
To her credit, even the Presence seems surprised.

Oh. That's...a little disappointing. I thought it'd do something different to you. Maybe deflect, or... Maybe you'd bleed something else... Too bad I can't find out more, huh?

Voice of the Omen

Can we fix this? We can still fix it, right? If we just leave it in, maybe we can get out and find help? Help can fix this.

Narrator

There's a knife in your heart, idiot. Nothing's going to help that but dying.

Voice of the Omen

This can't be it. This can't be. No way.

Narrator

I'm sorry, I really thought that'd be an easy end. I can't do anything about it now.

Voice of the Omen

There's no way.

Narrator

Hey, I don't feel great about this either. But you did it. You did save the world from her. There's always that to focus on. Everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

Sorry, I think I misheard you. We are doing what?

Voice of the Omen

Yes! I knew you'd get it.

Narrator

No, no, no. We're doing what? You're not supposed to be doing that. What are you doing? You just said you don't trust her! You don't free people you don't trust! Am I the only one who isn't crazy?

Voice of the Omen

It's good to have. We might be able to do something about those chains with it if we have it.

Narrator

Are we brushing over that you're saving her when you don't trust her? Is this logic making sense to you? Don't tell me it's making sense to you.

Voice of the Omen

Even if we don't trust her she can still deserve to be let out. It must be awful sitting in that room alone all that time.

Narrator

Yes! That's exactly the point! She was alone in there for how long, and we're just going to let her go? After being in there? Her, the world-ending threat you're specifically here to kill. You're saving her. Because you don't trust her but you think she should, what? Go outside?

Voice of the Omen

Well. Yeah, I guess. If she's been in there that long, doesn't she deserve to go outside a little? If I was called a world-ending threat and shut from being outside for a long time I'd want to go outside too.

Narrator

You are insufferable. You both bother me. I should've found someone else.

Voice of the Omen

Hey! What are you suggesting?

Narrator

That you listen to logic and don't free the world-ending Presence from the castle she was obviously left in?

Voice of the Omen

But she's been trapped.

Narrator

I'm never going to make sense to you. Ugh. But you already decided, haven't you? Ugggghh. Fine. You annoy me. I hope you know that. You annoy me so much and how dare you make me complicit in this. I can't believe this, this is awful. Why would you do this to me? You nightmares.

FINE. You leave the chamber and ignore the Presence staring at you apprehensively as you leave, because the only thing you told her was that you were 'bringing the sharp pointy thing' and that you don't trust her. Good job, idiot. I hope your rescue goes awful because she doesn't trust you too.

The hallway hasn't changed. Boarded windows, thin beams of light, lots of dust. You go back into the entrance hall and take the blade from off the table, and you hold it stupidly because you don't want to even have it. There. I said it. You look stupid with a knife. Bet you didn't pick it up because you didn't want people to know you were bad with a knife. Ha.

Voice of the Omen

Is this what you're doing now because you can't convince us otherwise? Being extremely and unnecessarily mean about it?

Narrator

Yes. I don't know. Shut up. You're both bastards and you're going to end the world doing what you're doing. Swear on my life and yours.

The heavy doors of the chamber are wide open as you return. The Presence hasn't moved, but she looks tense as she stares at you and at the knife you've returned with. She doesn't make any outward movements to back away but she doesn't look any more comfortable with you as you move closer to her, expression cautious, but steeled.

In theory, telling her you were going back to get a thing to stab her with probably gave her enough time to reconcile that she's going to have to fight for her life. But you're both idiots, so she's not even going to be fighting for her life. Because you want to save her. For some reason. Are you sure I can't convince you to not do this?

Voice of the Omen

Nope. Minds set.

Narrator

Ugh.
The Presence looks at you nervously. Her knuckles are pale and she doesn't quite hide the uncertainty in her eyes as she draws herself to sit straight, tense.

What are you doing? Why do you have that?

Voice of the Omen

...We probably could've done better than announcing we're getting the thing that could potentially be used to stab her after telling her we don't trust her.

Narrator

Oh, could you now?

Voice of the Omen

Is this the hill you're dying on?

Narrator

Well, since you're about to end the world, I guess the answer's yes.

You're not planning on using that, are you?

Narrator

The Presence's eyes narrow in suspicion. I guess stabbing her now isn't going to do anything anyway. She's already prepared for you to stab her. Not much point to stabbing someone ready for you to stab them so they can be not-stabbed.
Do you see what you've done? Sentences like that. Those are real. Why would you do that to me?

Narrator

I'm GETTING to it.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you are, mate.

Narrator

I am. I'm getting to it and I'm not furious at all about this. Not even a little bit. Not at all. Not at all. Because you're not on your way to releasing a threat to the world because you feel bad for her.

Voice of the Omen

You sound like you're going to end the world instead.

Narrator

FINE.

You reach for the chain. It's a blackened steel that warps slightly under the dim light, cold enough to burn and too thick to cut through. The Presence's shoulders sag with only a brief sense of relief. She tugs her arm and watches ruefully as the slack moves to accommodate.

Already tried, remember? It's not going to break any time soon if I've been here this long and it hasn't worn itself down. You could always try—

Narrator

She stops herself. Are you realising yet this is an awful decision and you should be ashamed of yourselves?

Voice of the Omen

The chain is that cold? I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been the one stuck with it.

Narrator

He's not even listening. Are you kidding.

The Presence levels you with a serious, if curious, look.

How bad are you with blood?

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry?

I have an idea, but I don't want you passing out on me here.

Voice of the Omen

I'm sorry???
...Hey, wait a minute, how come she's asking us if we're okay with blood and you didn't ask if we were okay with murdering people?

Narrator

Because she's not a people, she's a Presence, duh. And it shouldn't matter if you're okay with murder or blood or not because you'd be doing it for a good cause. But you're not even going to try to kill her. Because you suck.

Ugh. The Presence doesn't wait for you to respond. She moves and grabs onto the arm holding the blade—so tightly it feels like she's trying to bend your arm itself as she lowers her other arm to the floor and— Hold up. She what?

Voice of the Omen

Don't tell me she's going to do what I think she's going to do. No. No, there must be some other option, this can't be—

Narrator

Holding your arm with more force than you can escape from, almost crushing the bone, the Presence brings the blade down upon the arm she has against the floor. The blade parts the skin quickly and cleanly, surgically as she changes her grip from your arm to the grip you have around the blade. She's keeping it in place as blood oozes out of the wound; at first sluggishly and then in a fountain of red that pools under both of you.

The blade cuts through muscle. The Presence doesn't once waver or grimace at the pain, doesn't so much as blink against the rapid loss of blood as arteries and vessels tear apart as she precisely uses the blade in your hand to hack away at the limb.

Voice of the Omen

No. No no no no no no there's no way.

Narrator

The blade stops. Grates. The Presence's eyes narrow, her jaw tensing.

This part won't be delightful. Don't pass out if you can.

Narrator

She presses harder down on your hand. You feel something in your hand crack in more places than one. You don't know what bones she's just broken besides the sickening crunch of her own as the blade hacks it into shrapnel of bone and marrow and a sickening pool of hot blood.

Her grip is gone in the next second. She leans back, hardly a sweat on her brow, as she gives you one last look and takes hold of her partially severed wrist and tugs. Stringy viscera of meat and sinew pull away as the Presence continues pulling, eyes wild staring down until the bone cracks again in a deafening crunch.

You don't look as she pries the rest of the meat of her arm away. It sounds like you can hear it tearing despite this. Hot blood pools under you still. Your aching hand is covered in it. A thump resounds on the ground before you, followed shortly by the sharp clanging of metal against stone and a relieved gasp.

Voice of the Omen

I'm going to be sick.

Well?

Narrator

The Presence looks down at you, smiling. Her arm is entirely severed, deadweight on the ground and still oozing blood onto the floor. The Presence doesn't seem to care much for the fact what remains of her arm is still bleeding out as she, yet again, ignores your silence to instead pull you up.

Despite this, despite it all, she smiles at you with relief. This is deeply horrifying on all fronts.

Sorry, I couldn't risk you backing out last minute. I'll make it up to you somehow when we get out of here, how about that?

Narrator

Comparatively gentler to her prior grip on you, she gives you a very light punch to the chest. More of an acknowledging tap. It's almost a little mocking. I feel a little mocked. Do you feel mocked?

Voice of the Omen

I'm still going to be sick. What was that?

Narrator

That was...

Voice of the Omen

I don't like that you trailed off there. I don't like that. I don't like anything that happened in the last five minutes.

Narrator

That—

The Presence walks past you. She smiles at you, eyebrow raised.

You coming with?

Voice of the Omen

If it gets us away from this room. Anything if it gets us out of this room. Nothing good happens in this room. Get us out of this room right now.

...Where'd he go—?

Narrator

The Presence steps closer, concern overtaking her amusement.

—Are you good? You look all...off. You're not about to pass out now the hard parts are done, are you?

Voice of the Omen

You sound different. Why do you sound different?

Narrator

I'm not supposed to let this happen.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Voice of the Omen

What was THAT? What do you think you're doing?! Since when could you—

Narrator

Doing what I have to do! The Presence can't leave the castle and I'm not letting the world end like this.

Voice of the Omen

You can't just decide what we do like this—

Narrator

But I can and I have to. You don't understand it but I have to.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean I don't—

Narrator

Concerned for you, the Presence doesn't notice your hand moving until the blade is already embedded in her side. Hurt flashes across her face before an encompassing rage consumes it. You move without command; adjusting your grip on the blade she she strikes out against you, you tug the blade through her skin just as she aims a bone-crushing punch to your ribs.

Voice of the Omen

Stop! Stop! We didn't mean it, we didn't want to! What do you think you're doing?! You can't force decisions!

Narrator

Watch me.

The Presence stumbles to one knee, clutching the open wound in her side, gulping down gasps through pain. She has minutes left. The blade hit something important.

You.

Voice of the Omen

What have you done. What have you done what have you done what have you done.

You did that just to betray me? What kind of idiot are you?

Narrator

She coughs. Blood wets her lips. Your vision blackens at the edges, grip on the blade still clutched in your fractured hand loosening. The ribs pierced the lungs. You have seconds.

The Presence won't be leaving this room. She slumps to the ground, eyes alight with the agony of the wound. You fall shortly after.

Voice of the Omen

I can't believe this. I can't believe this, I can't believe you'd do this, I can't believe you'd—

Narrator

It's...for the better.

Voice of the Omen

No. No, I don't believe any of that. You got weird there and then you made us stab her and now we're—

Narrator

Dying. You're dying.

You're so stupid. Why would you…

Voice of the Omen

I don't know.

Narrator

You don't get a chance to respond. The room gets darker, yourself fainter. You saved the world.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think that's true at all.

Narrator

Sorry, boys. It's for the greater good.

Everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

It's your fault if the world ends. Just making sure we're all aware of this.

Voice of the Omen

Do you just like feeling dramatic when you say that?

Narrator

Yes, but also I'm right about it, so I'm dramatic and right. Deal with it.

Voice of the Omen

And what if you're wrong? Then you're dramatic and wrong.

Narrator

But I'm not. And I'm dramatic. And I'm entirely serious and it's your fault if the world ends.

Narrator

Who said that was an option?! Are you an idiot? Please tell me you're joking. You're joking.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think he is.

Narrator

You're joking. Absolutely not.

Narrator

You have got to be kidding me. There's no way you're doubling down on this. You're doubling down on it. I cannot stress how bad of an idea this is.

Voice of the Omen

It's too late to back out now, though. It's not the worst option in the world...?

Narrator

It is! This is the worst of options. It wasn't supposed to be a decision you could make. What is wrong with you? You're dooming all of us.

Voice of the Omen

I thought it was freeing her that ended the world?

Narrator

It is.

Voice of the Omen

But this isn't us freeing her, this is us sitting with her for an...indeterminate...eternity?

Narrator

Which is the problem! I don't want to be stuck with her forever. But you already decided that with your own free will because you. I don't know. Hate us. You hate us. Both of us.

Voice of the Omen

That feels a little harsh, doesn't it? She's been alone for however long, maybe having company won't be so bad? I'm sure we could keep ourselves company for that long.

Narrator

You're missing the point. You were here to slay her, and now you're sitting here on cold stone floor deciding that you're going to be her best friend forever? Do you realise how long forever is?

Voice of the Omen

...Um. Forever?

Narrator

Why do I bother.

Are you going to be sitting there in silence forever? Just wondering.

Voice of the Omen

She caught on...distressingly quick. Is it that obvious we made some kind of choice?

Narrator

You definitely weren't subtle about sitting yourself down and going silent. I wouldn't think so about the choice part. I'd wager it's hard to figure out someone makes as awful of a choice as you just did.

Voice of the Omen

I feel like you're putting a lot of the blame on me for this. He made the choice! I didn't even get any more of a say in it than you.

Narrator

You probably gave him the idea somehow! I don't know. I think you're guilty of this. Somehow. I'll prove it. There's apparently an eternity ahead to list reasons you're guilty of this.

Voice of the Omen

Oh. Great. Comforting.

Because if you are, it's going to be really awkward in here, and it was already really awkward before but now it's getting...worse.

Voice of the Omen

She does look...a little uncomfortable with the quiet. You could say something, you know?

Narrator

Of all times to take an oath of silence.

The Presence looks around uncertainly at your extended silence. I don't know why you've suddenly devoted yourself to this. You do know that you don't have to go silent if you're committing to this. Is this what malicious compliance looks like? Except it's not really compliance, is it? What's the word for malicious compliance if nobody wanted this outcome anyway?

Voice of the Omen

I think that's just malicious non-compliance.

So this is how it's going to be, then? Fine. No, I can deal with this. The walls don't talk back and neither do you. For some reason. But that's fine. That's cool. I can deal with this. You can listen, at least; that's different from the walls.

...

Saying that out loud made me realise how pathetic that sounds. I used to have so much more dignity, and now I'm in a castle chained to a wall. What happened to that?

Narrator

The Presence glances to you, briefly, as though she expects you to chime into the conversation at any minute. But you don't. For some reason. Because you've chosen to be weird now. You're weird.

Voice of the Omen

That's beginning to feel less insulting and more plain rude.

Narrator

It shouldn't be? That is an insult? I can go back to insulting you plainly.

Voice of the Omen

Let's not?

Narrator

You're no fun.

What do you think the outside is like? Or. That's a redundant statement, because you were outside. But....hypothetically, what do you think the outside is like?

I always imagined trees. Paths. Birds, sometimes. I don't remember what they look like, exactly, but I admire them a little. Being able to leave the ground and fly? To not be...stuck? Oh, and hills — grassy hills. The kinds you'd roll down on a sunny day.

...

I don't think I remember the last time I saw sunlight through that window. It's always been…

Voice of the Omen

Are you sure we can't...go back?

Narrator

He made the choice.

Voice of the Omen

But this is just...

Narrator

Forever's going to be a long time.

Voice of the Omen

Now you're being mean about it.

Narrator

I don't know what you really want me to be about this. He made a choice, now we're stuck living it out. In real time. For-ev-er.

Voice of the Omen

You can stop rubbing it in now.

Narrator

Nope.

You're here for a reason. It's not hard to really figure out what it is. There's been a blade up there for as long as you were outside. I never knew what it was for until you started to get closer; like...like eyes getting closer, almost. It'd been so long since anyone had seen this place it took me a while to place it. But that's what it was like. Eyes.

...

You have a job to complete, don't you?

Narrator

Hang on. She wants to be killed?

Voice of the Omen

Or freed.

I won't make it harder than necessary, if that helps encourage you any.

Narrator

This is weird.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, really? What gave that away?

Narrator

You. Can it.

I just really don't want to be in here. Shocking, right? I've been in here so long and now there's someone new here and I want nothing more than to stop being here. Here. I've been here for so long I don't know what anything looks like outside of this room anymore.

I know each castle room. Every tree outside. But I don't know any of it with my own eyes. And now you're…

You're…

Voice of the Omen

I don't like that. I do not like how she trailed off there. Trailing off like that means she's realised something.

Narrator

You know, I think you're onto something.

Voice of the Omen

What? Don't say that. Don't say that I am begging you take that back.

Narrator

The Presence's hands tremble.

You're another warden.

Voice of the Omen

Hey. What?

Narrator

Horror and fury overtake her face as she comes to this — admittedly not wrong — conclusion. Her hands shake. You don't move, because you're weird now. She reaches for you, slowly.

Voice of the Omen

Hey. Hey, whatever's going on snap out of it, right? This isn't going to end well if we're sitting about like ducks. Hey!

Narrator

Her hand makes contact with your face. Then, her other shoots forward for your throat, squeezing with an unexpected force as she strangles you.

Voice of the Omen

Dude!

Narrator

Both of her hands wrap around your neck, pressing tightly. Your lungs heave with the effort to force anything through; and still you don't raise your hands to try to pry her off of you. Not even as your bones creak dangerously, as the Presence's eyes narrow in an unfathomable wild rage, as your world goes dim and chest aches.

There's a horrid crunch.

Voice of the Omen

No. No way.

You could've made this so much easier for us both. You could've done something right by us both!

Narrator

It's all going dark. The crushed bones of your neck spark with new pain as the Presence lets your body roll to the floor. The seconds ache with every shattered inhale that doesn't make it. Sensation, as dull as it is, tells you still that she lays a hand on your shoulder in a comfort that is foreign to you both.

I know you wouldn't change your mind. I don't know why I tried, but I had to. I didn't want to do this, but the world, it…

I could feel so much of the world. But then I couldn't. All of it. I could feel the castle and the world beyond it and then I couldn't. It was...terrifying. It was your fault.

Narrator

You have seconds.

You made a choice. I don't know what it was. I don't think I'll ever know. I didn't want it, but you still made it and trapped us both here.

One of us has to die here. I wanted to believe maybe I could change it; neither of us deserve to die. But this is all I could think of to get us out of this. Maybe next time…

Narrator

You don't hear what she says next. You die.

Narrator

Do you just enjoy giving people heart attacks?

Narrator

—I think. Oh. Nevermind, you got it and I didn't have to say anything. See what happens when you understand the instructions? Maybe you don't suck, boys.

Voice of the Omen

I didn't agree to this!

Narrator

You do historically disagree with anything I say.

Voice of the Omen

And I'm usually right, too! C'mon, we can still turn this around.

Hello! It’s me, the author, speaking to you from the beyond. This route was unfinished as of posting time, but with hope may be up later! Endings are available as well as three connected routes as of right now. The author severely overestimated how long writing each of them would take. With that in mind, this space exists to take you to the available route’s beginning from within chapter one, the beginning of the route, or to the beginning of chapter one all over again. Happy slaying or whatever it is you do!

Narrator

You're on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a town still because you're back here and how did you mess that up that bad?

Voice of the Omen

Hey! You're the one who stabbed her!

Narrator

You're the one who managed to die. You weren't supposed to die there. This is your fault.

Voice of the Loyal

I'm almost certain you planned that we'd die.

Voice of the Omen

Right! You made us stab her and now you're blaming us for dying! What next, we can't talk to her or you'll smite us?

Narrator

I can't smite you. I think. I could try though.

Voice of the Omen

I'd like to see you try.

Voice of the Loyal

Are both of you forgetting she'll be in a room? How do you expect to smite someone through several layers of roofing?

Narrator

Not important. I'll do it anyway, just you watch me. I'll do it out here, even. Wouldn't that be funny?

Voice of the Omen

I dare you to do it. I dare. I dare you.

Narrator

Yeah? Yeah? I'll do it. I'll do it.

Voice of the Loyal

What if we didn't do that? I'm all for a bit of murder here, but don't we have a job to do? Because if we're alive then she's probably alive too.

Voice of the Omen

And we can try again. You're a genius!

Narrator

Wow, I sure do hope you mean you can try to kill her again without dying this time when you say that.

Voice of the Loyal

Ssssssure.

Narrator

You don't sound so sure there.

Voice of the Loyal

Do I need to?

Voice of the Omen

That's a good point! Why do we need to sound sure about something for it to count? I think we listen to him.

Voice of the Loyal

Thank you.

Narrator

Now there's two of them. Could you be competent this time, for both of us?

Narrator

You died. And then you didn't. What's so complicated about that?

Voice of the Omen

Well, for one, people don't usually die and then not-die.

Voice of the Loyal

That also doesn't explain why we're out here. If we 'undied' or something shouldn't we be back in the castle?

Narrator

I don't make all of the rules. What do you take me for? I'm just here to tell you what happens. And it just happens to be that you're out here now instead of in there.

Voice of the Omen

You don't know, do you?

Narrator

I know so many things. Don't question me ever.

Voice of the Loyal

You can just admit you don't know, we won't judge.

Voice of the Omen

I'll judge.

Voice of the Loyal

I won't judge.

Narrator

These are a lot of bold assumptions being thrown at me and I don't think I appreciate all of them. I can learn to smite you. I'll do it.

Voice of the Loyal

Go on. Do it, coward.

Narrator

...I don't think I appreciate this energy here. Can we just go to the castle already? You're probably here because you were an idiot and you died and now we have to go make sure that the Presence is also dead otherwise we're going to have to do this all over again. I don't want to have to do this all over again. Doing this once was a nightmare.

Voice of the Omen

You could just let us free her. Seriously, what is with you and killing her?

Voice of the Loyal

Probably the end of the world.

Narrator

Yes! That's it! That is the problem! What about this are you not understanding!

Voice of the Loyal

I just don't think it sounds all that plausible. If she could end the world, wouldn't the people who locked her up kill her already? Or are you tossing us at her to kill her and we can't because the people who locked her away already tried?

Voice of the Omen

So, what? He's trying to kill her for nothing?

Voice of the Loyal

I'm just saying, it makes sense, doesn't it? We're back at the start after we died, so in theory she's alive again too. And because of that...

Voice of the Omen

It would start again?

Voice of the Loyal

And we'd just be doing the same thing again.

Voice of the Omen

She did mention people coming in and taking stuff. Maybe they were people who tried?

Narrator

This is a lot of made up information. How are you convincing yourselves of this? You didn't even wait for me to say anything. Are you kidding me.

Voice of the Omen

He wouldn't even admit it if we were right.

Narrator

Which you're not, by the way. You've never been more wrong. Can we go now?

Voice of the Omen

It did feel a little empty without the speech. I kind of miss it.

Narrator

Well, miss it and weep, because you're not getting another one.

Voice of the Loyal

What? Aw, I thought it came with the forest. It went really well with the scenery.

Narrator

You're insufferable and you suck. You weren't even there for it the first time.

Voice of the Loyal

Boo.

Voice of the Loyal

I feel slightly insulted but otherwise thanks. I do love to be included.

Voice of the Omen

Now that you mention it, where did you come from?

Voice of the Loyal

You can't just ask someone that.

Voice of the Omen

But—? Well. I guess.

Narrator

Where did you come from? I don't remember this happening at all. Or do you just turn up like the other one?

Voice of the Omen

Can I stop being 'the other one'?

Narrator

No.

Voice of the Omen

Oh.

Voice of the Loyal

And just like that, you're not going to get an answer.

Voice of the Omen

Aw.

Voice of the Omen

Why are we listening?

Narrator

Well, I'd say you're horrible at listening to me, actually.

Voice of the Loyal

He wants us to go in the direction of the castle, and if we're going to be saving her then we probably need to also go in the direction of the castle. We don't have to listen to him to do it.

Narrator

You're going to have to anyway. Did you forget what I do here? I kind of have to be listened to.

Voice of the Omen

Yeah, but can't we do it, like...defiantly? In a way that clearly means we don't want to be associated with him but we keep walking the same way?

Narrator

Oi! People love to hang out with me.

Voice of the Loyal

Really? Name one.

Narrator

You.

Voice of the Loyal

Hm. Well, I can't say I hate you being here, so I guess that counts.

Voice of the Omen

You guess?

Voice of the Loyal

Sure. I don't love what he's done but he's funny enough to keep around. He's entertainment.

Narrator

See? I'm entertaining.

Voice of the Omen

That doesn't answer why we should be listening to you!

Voice of the Loyal

The answer is we don't. We do our thing, which just happens to also intersect with where he wants us to go, and we don't listen to him. Easy.

Voice of the Omen

If you say so.

Narrator

You're so boring.

Narrator

It wasn't like I willed this into happening! Why do I keep getting blamed here? You're the one who wanted the free the thing that's going to end the world. This is on you as far I'm concerned.

Voice of the Loyal

It might've helped if the stabbing hadn't happened.

Narrator

Saying it more isn't going to undo it. Seriously, is—

Voice of the Loyal

Yes, you think she's going to end the world. I agree she's maybe a little crazy but that's what makes people fun. Sometimes.

Voice of the Omen

Besides, she could still be innocent. The only person we know she's murdered is, well. Us. And I'd say we deserved it.

Voice of the Loyal

Being forced to murder one person could easily become forced to murder multiple people. I don't feel like being a serial killer yet.

Voice of the Omen

I don't feel like being much of a serial killer ever.

Narrator

You're not even the ones who make the decisions about this. You'll be a serial killer if he wants to be a serial killer.

Voice of the Loyal

I'm sure that can't go wrong ever. If she remembers, she'll probably hate us for what you did.

Voice of the Omen

We could explain ourselves, though, right?

Voice of the Loyal

Considering I'd like to avoid us backstabbing her a second time, I'd hope so. Being on stabbing terms with someone I'm trying to help doesn't exactly sound ideal.

Narrator

You could always help her by stabbing her.

Voice of the Loyal

We'll see.

Voice of the Omen

At least we know now that she can definitely kill us if she wants to.

Voice of the Loyal

All the more reason not to give her a reason to do that.

Narrator

Me? I was helping you!

Voice of the Loyal

You made us stab her!

Narrator

You're so hung up on that. Old news. You're the ones who don't want to take the blade all the time.

Voice of the Omen

One time! And look at what having it did! We die!

Narrator

And you're not dead now! Which means you know now that it's going to happen anyway, so you should use it first. On her, to be clear.

Voice of the Loyal

Mm. Nice try, but no thanks.

Narrator

What could I do to convince you?

Voice of the Loyal

Not be extremely suspicious?

Narrator

Why am I suspicious now? What have I done that's so suspicious?

Voice of the Omen

Forcing us to stab her when we were trying to help her?

Voice of the Loyal

Dodging answering questions?

Narrator

That's not suspicious! I'm being totally rational about everything. You're the ones being all weird. Weirdos.

Voice of the Omen

You don't think she'll kill us on sight, do you? She can't hate us that bad, can she?

Voice of the Loyal

Mmm... Well, if I got stabbed in the back, I'd be a little murder-y too.

Narrator

Which hinges on the fact she does remember.

Voice of the Omen

The way our luck is going...

Voice of the Loyal

Just don't stab her this time. I'm sure that'll go over better than stabbing her.

Voice of the Omen

It's not like we'll get much choice if he really wants us to.

Voice of the Loyal

I'm sure that won't be a problem.

Voice of the Omen

Hey! What.

Narrator

What??

Voice of the Omen

No, no. Let's go back to that?

Voice of the Loyal

Nope.

Voice of the Loyal

Think of it as for the mission and it gets less painful.

Narrator

It can't be that bad. Give me some credit.

Voice of the Omen

Hmmm... Suspicious.

Narrator

Oh, whatever. Get ready for a bit of climbing, lads.

Narrator

Right, so I'm sure we already know what's at stake here. World's ending, don't let her out, she's going to do everything to get you to let her out. All that stuff that you don't really care about at all.

Voice of the Loyal

I was about to say I don't care for it. Good that you're catching on, though.

Narrator

I don't want to be! But I am. Noticing a bit of a theme here.

Voice of the Omen

At least we know what we're supposed to expect this time. Because you didn't last time.

Narrator

What? You say that like you think I doomed you personally.

Voice of the Loyal

Well...

Narrator

Okay. Well. Maybe a little bit. You could've dodged it.

Voice of the Omen

Did you see how much it hurt? I don't think you're getting that it hurt and was very, very quick.

Narrator

I think you're making excuses. Necessary reminder: end of the world? I think end of the world's a pretty good motivation to dodge out of the way of a murderous rage.

Voice of the Loyal

You do realise you control what happens, right?

Narrator

Since when?!

Voice of the Omen

Don't do this again. Please. No.

Narrator

You're boring.

Narrator

I guess now that you mention it.

Voice of the Omen

It feels a little obvious looking at it now. It also kind of looks like...a house, almost? Like there could have been a house at the base there but then it kept being built up.

Voice of the Loyal

It's a nice looking house, though.

Narrator

Somehow I think this is your fault.

Voice of the Loyal

Why am I being blamed now?

Narrator

I dunno. You're the new guy. You're supposed to get bullied. Be bullied.

Voice of the Omen

And I was the new guy before?

Narrator

Good lad.

Voice of the Omen

No thank you?

Narrator

The interior is different than to what it was before. The bland stone walls have changed into a smooth stone brick with dark wooded support beams. Rafters of similar wood arch above. A mossy grass creeps in from around the stone. The windows are hardly windows at all, more like glass separated by thin, wooden dividers that separate each pane.

In the far wall is the massive metal door to what must still be the reception hall. It can't have changed that much. The metal looks weathered but cleaner than it had. Sat in the middle of the room is a clean wooden table. Sunken deep into the wood, enough to splinter deep groves into the table itself, is the blade.

I'd still take it if I were you. If I were stabbed, I'd be angry too.

Voice of the Loyal

Remind me who made us stab her?

Voice of the Omen

I'm onto him.

Narrator

What? Me? Onto me for what, trying to save the world?

Voice of the Omen

You didn't give us the chance to do anything but stab her!

Narrator

And if I didn't, you'd have actually set the end of the world free? I don't see how I'm the wrong one here?

Voice of the Loyal

The problem is you could do it again.

Voice of the Omen

And you could do it again!

Narrator

Seriously? This is what you're hung up on? She was going to end the world, how is this a crazy decision to make?

Voice of the Loyal

I thought you didn't make decisions.

Narrator

I— Well. That doesn't mean I can't.

Voice of the Loyal

Uh huh.

Narrator

I suddenly don't like this attitude you're giving me. I don't like whatever this is. Stop that.

Voice of the Loyal

No, I don't think I want to.

Narrator

Right. Well.

Narrator

Smart lad.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't think this is the right call.

Narrator

Oh, good, there's two of them now. You really hate me.

Voice of the Omen

Why is this about you?

Narrator

Because I'm the one who has to tell you what happens?

Voice of the Loyal

That doesn't mean taking it is a good idea.

Narrator

Run that by me again? Slower this time.

Voice of the Loyal

Taking it isn't a good idea. She was stabbed last time, so if we're trying to get her to trust us, shouldn't we not bring the thing that obviously killed her last time?

Voice of the Omen

That's...not a bad idea, actually. If we don't walk in holding the knife then she might be open to talking to us.

Voice of the Loyal

See? He gets it.

Narrator

You're both crazy. You're both crazy for even suggesting this. She killed you last time, she'd do it again.

Voice of the Loyal

...Fair's fair?

Narrator

That's not how this works.

Narrator

Seriously? You're believing them. This is the hill you're dying on. For the second time, may I remind you.

Voice of the Omen

Well, sure, right? It's not the worst hill to die on.

Voice of the Loyal

She'll still be chained up anyway, so it can stay here as a last resort.

Voice of the Omen

See! Teamwork.

Narrator

Are you missing the—? Okay. Right. Whatever. Sure. Let's walk on ahead to our deaths. Why not.

Narrator

The hall is sparsely decorated, but more intricate than it was before. Wooden arches and rafters in place of plain stone, and though stripped bare of its accessories there is proof there, once, had been accessories at all. Indents in the wood where something once had been, shelving or decoration. Divots where storage might have once lined walls, for offerings or to give offerings. What might have once been a red carpet, as worn and faded as the light wood of the floor.

Large windows are covered by threadbare curtains. Pale light finds its way through the meagre covering and illuminates the hall dimly. It's only just enough to see a wooden door on the far end, and more than enough to see the thick coating of dust on the ground. Nobody's been here in a long time.

I'm just saying. Killing her would probably do her a favour here. This place is in a right state.

Voice of the Omen

There wasn't a door last time.

Voice of the Loyal

No. There wasn't.

Voice of the Omen

Do you like this as little as I do? I'm not a big fan of 'suddenly appearing doorways', if I do say so myself.

Voice of the Loyal

I can't say I'm a fan of the entire interior of the building changing, but if that's what tips you off, then sure.

Voice of the Omen

Nnnno. No. The building changes. That too.

Narrator

Oh, come on. A building changes and you're more scared of that than the Presence you failed — and I have to remind you, failed — to kill?

Voice of the Loyal

If I remember, you killed her. Not us.

Narrator

Semantics. A world-ending threat is still a world-ending threat even if I may have a little bit stabbed her.

Voice of the Omen

So you admit to it!

Narrator

If it annoys you, sure.

Voice of the Omen

What is that logic?!

Narrator

You approach the door, ignoring the two idiots being idiots. You put your hand against it to push it open, and the Presence's voice — bitter and suspicious — filters in through the dry wood.

And you're back. Because of course you're back. Was the one time not enough for you? Did you have to come back and rub it in my face a second time that I can't leave?

Voice of the Loyal

That's...

Voice of the Omen

Not good?

Voice of the Loyal

I'd say 'not good for us', but that feels fairly obvious. If only it weren't for a certain somebody. Not naming names.

Narrator

I regret nothing.

Voice of the Omen

You got us into this mess! You should feel a little bit bad about it.

Narrator

Nope. Don't think I will.

Voice of the Loyal

Don't bother. If he doesn't want to admit to it then he's not going to admit to it. We'll just have to deal. Which will be fun.

Voice of the Omen

I don't like it.

Voice of the Loyal

Neither do I.

Voice of the Omen

Is it too late to turn back? She can't leave, so if we leave...

Voice of the Loyal

But he won't let us, will he? We already agreed we want to get her out of there. We'll just have to wing it until we get the chance. You don't even get to make the choices.

Voice of the Omen

Yeah, but the guy who does can hear us!

Narrator

It's why he's making all those awful decisions. Because you both keep talking about them.

Voice of the Loyal

Or he doesn't like listening to you more.

Narrator

I'm a delight to listen to.

Voice of the Omen

(grumbling)

Narrator

What's that? You agree? Good!

Voice of the Omen

(louder grumbling)

Voice of the Loyal

Now you're just making sounds.

Voice of the Omen

(loud agreement grumbling)

Narrator

Seriously. This is who I'm stuck with. The world is doomed. I hate you all. I can't believe I can't even leave dramatically. You've cursed me. This is what you've done, you've cursed me. Ugh.

You're here again.

Narrator

The Presence sits against the far wall. The decay starts in this room; wood both dry and rotted through, and the stone cold with moss growing across it in certain places. The chain binding the Presence to the wall is shorter than last time, allowing only enough slack for the Presence to move her arm closer to herself and a little more.

She's watching you. Keen, suspicious eyes tracking you as the door closes and leaves you both alone in the room. You don't even have the knife, you idiot. It'd be so much of an easier job this time — what's she going to do, punch you again?

Voice of the Omen

She has two arms.

Narrator

I doubt the other one has that much strength in it.

Voice of the Loyal

Do you know how the physical body works?

Narrator

Don't need to.

Voice of the Omen

I'd assume that's necessary to stab someone right?

Narrator

Who needs to know how to stab someone so long as you can stab them once and let them bleed out?

Voice of the Loyal

Surprisingly morbid.

Voice of the Omen

'Surprisingly'? He's been asking us to kill her for the last...two of our lives?

Voice of the Loyal

Talking about blood loss as a cause of death is drastically different to asking someone to stab someone else.

Voice of the Omen

Sounds similar enough to me.

Narrator

That's 'cause you're uncultured about it.

Voice of the Omen

I'd rather be uncultured in the way of killing people, thanks?

Narrator

Oh. Well, good news for you, I guess.

Voice of the Omen

I don't feel very comforted.

Voice of the Loyal

Probably for the best.

Was it really not enough to come here and kill me? Do you have to do it a second time? Was it that funny to you that I trusted you? That I thought we were — going to leave? You couldn't leave without me.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

She doesn't know what she's talking about. It's probably fine. She hates you. Probably.

Didn't you feel it? There was no way out without the both of us. I can't leave without you. You can't leave without me. There was something closing in and it wouldn't go away.

Voice of the Loyal

That would explain the idiot comment.

Narrator

How would she even know that?

Voice of the Omen

You're not saying it's wrong, though.

Narrator

Yes it's wrong? Why would that even happen?

Voice of the Omen

Why would you make us stab her? You're always omniscient. You must've known.

Narrator

Whatever she's talking about doesn't happen and can't happen. That's not how it works, idiot.

Voice of the Loyal

You haven't given us a lot of reasons to trust your word for this.

Narrator

I don't need you to trust my word, I just need you to realise she's saying stuff to get up all in your head so you'll be scared and work with her.

Voice of the Omen

We don't need to work with her. We wanted to get her out. That doesn't have to be working with her.

Voice of the Loyal

Well. It does need a little bit of working together.

Voice of the Omen

You get my point.

Narrator

Fine. You don't have to work with her, but you're still believing the thing that's going to end the world—

Voice of the Loyal

I think you're lying.

Narrator

You're joking. You're absolutely joking. What is this whole betrayal thing you've got going on?

Voice of the Omen

Us? Betrayal? You stabbed her! You did!

Narrator

Are you going to hold that against me forever? Wake up at the crack of dawn just to tell me that again every morning like a crow that I fed once and won't leave me alone?

Voice of the Loyal

That's so oddly specific.

Voice of the Omen

Yes. Yes I will.

Narrator

Awful. You don't have the knife so you go walk closer to the Presence I guess because that's the only way I'm getting out of this blinding nightmare of a conversation with you knuckleheads. She moves herself back more firmly against the wall as you approach, lined with tension and coiled to spring away at any sudden movements.

Try anything again and I'll make it hurt.

Voice of the Loyal

She didn't have to sound quite so excited about that.

Voice of the Omen

Oh, good, I wasn't the only one picking up on the excitement there. Great. Just awesome. Totally. Lovely. Great day. She hates us.

Voice of the Loyal

I'm a little morbidly curious.

Voice of the Omen

Seriously?

Narrator

I wouldn't be.

Voice of the Omen

First time I'll ever agree with him: neither would I.

Voice of the Loyal

I wouldn't say do anything. But I do wonder.

It doesn't help as much as you think it does. I didn't tell you to stab me to death but still look at what happened.

Voice of the Loyal

I really don't know what you expected to come from that.

Voice of the Omen

Not a great start, I'll admit.

I didn't want this to happen. You stabbed me. You get to live with it.

Oh, really? Isn't that funny. Because I think you do have an idea. Last time you seemed rather full of them.

Voice of the Omen

That was so much hostility. I actually feel a little bad? Again. I already felt bad but now I just feel extra bad. And a little scared.

Voice of the Loyal

That was definitely...a lot?

You said you were going to help me and then you stabbed me in the back. I don't know why you look so surprised that I'm not exactly happy about it.

Narrator

The Presence's eyes cut back to the chain binding her to the wall. She gives it another fierce tug, knuckles whitening as she curls her hand into a fist when the chain does nothing but pull taut. Something inexplicable flashes across her face before she turns back to face you.

I could've done with coming back from death still out of this thing. The door doesn't open from this side, either, so I couldn't have left even if I wanted to.

Voice of the Omen

It doesn't?

Narrator

You look back and— Huh. I guess it doesn't. There's no handles on this side and they push inward.

I don't suppose that's also your doing

Voice of the Loyal

Okay, that feels like a little too much. The stabbing I can blame on someone else. The door feels a little too mean.

Narrator

The Presence stares at you for a second. She sighs heavily.

I guess not. Maybe this room really was designed to be a really ineffectual prison. A chain and a door that can't be opened unless someone else opens it from the outside.

I guess they really did want to keep me in.

Really. That's what you're hung up on?

Voice of the Omen

She didn't have to make it sound so mean.

Voice of the Loyal

Again, she did get stabbed.

Voice of the Omen

Still feels a little unnecessary.

I don't know any more than you do why we're still here. I...really thought that was the end for the both of us. But we're here now and you have a choice to make.

Depends on what you do. I have a few ideas here and there.

Narrator

The Presence smiles cryptically. Sharp and carrying a hint of a threat.

Voice of the Loyal

Understandable.

It sure didn't feel like you didn't mean to stab me. I was watching you. You didn't trip and stab me. You did that on purpose.

Voice of the Loyal

See? This is the reputation you've given us.

Narrator

Oh, boohoo. You stabbed her once and she's upset about it.

Voice of the Loyal

You stabbed her, not us.

Narrator

Ehh, semantics.

Voice of the Omen

I distinctly remember us making the choice to help her, not stab her.

Narrator

You're the ones that hold the knife, I'm just the messenger.

Voice of the Loyal

They do say shoot the messenger...

Voice of the Omen

I thought it was don't shoot the messenger?

Voice of the Loyal

For now.

Narrator

...The Presence eyes you skeptically. And so am I now.

Whether or not you wanted to or not — which I still doubt, you aren't getting out of it that easy — you still did. And now you're here again. You can still do it again.

Voice of the Loyal

Understandable. Don't like it, but understandable.

Narrator

She stares at you. The silence draws out uncomfortably, her eyes skating between you and the door and her binding. Eventually, the Presence lets out a heavy sigh, her knuckles white where she holds her hands tightly.

It would be better if you chose to leave. It's not worth putting each other through this twice.

Voice of the Omen

That's...technically an option...?

Voice of the Loyal

No. We're helping her. We decided that.

Voice of the Omen

But she's telling us we could leave. Should, even.

Voice of the Loyal

And you'd just do it? Have some spine at least.

Voice of the Omen

Well—! I just don't— She's very, very scary when she's killing us and I'd really not like to die again?

Narrator

The problem wouldn't exist if you'd just killed her.

Voice of the Omen

We did! And then she also killed us!

Voice of the Loyal

We aren't leaving. We said we'd free her last time. We're committing to this or nothing. Whichever way we have to.

Narrator

You're still surprised?

Voice of the Omen

It was always possible she didn't. Which would have made things really awkward.

Narrator

It can't be this surprising. I mean, really?

Voice of the Loyal

I'm more concerned about the world-hopping part of it.

Narrator

Who cares.

Voice of the Loyal

Woooow.

It's a little hard to forget being told you're being freed and then getting killed instead. Joke's still on me.

Narrator

She refuses to meet your eyes, staring determinedly and bitterly over your shoulder, a tension in her jaw.

It doesn't matter. You made your choice.

Voice of the Omen

It matters quite a lot, actually.

Narrator

Can we get back to the murder already?

Voice of the Loyal

You have no patience.

Narrator

That is the most unhelpful sentence you have ever said. What was your plan with that? Where did you think this was going when you opened your mouth?

Well nothing I said last time seemed to have convinced you of much. I don't think you'd change your mind no matter what I say.

You think I'm either...dangerous or crazy enough to die. I think you'll stab me again when you get the opportunity. That's what we're here to do, aren't we?

Voice of the Omen

We didn't want to!

Voice of the Loyal

I don't think she'd believe us even if we did tell her. If she told me she had a voice in her head that pestered her into choosing certain things and overruled her decisions when he didn't like them, I'd also not believe her.

Narrator

Why am I being insulted?

Voice of the Loyal

Because it's what you did!

Narrator

And? I do a lot more than steal people's free will because they annoy me.

Voice of the Omen

And you're admitting to it?

Narrator

What else do you want me to admit to? That I stole someone's food? What kind of criminal do you take me for?

Voice of the Omen

A bad one?

Narrator

Why?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know! You just are!

Voice of the Loyal

You are also very fun to insult.

Narrator

You both suck. Move on already.

Voice of the Omen

Weird thing to be honest about.

Voice of the Loyal

She can see we don't have it.

Voice of the Omen

Clarification's important?

Voice of the Loyal

I guess.

It didn't feel great to be stabbed with it either. But... Thank you. I think.

Voice of the Omen

Did she just—?

I don't trust you with it or that it's still...there. Wherever there...is. But I expected you to come in here and stab me again. So thank you, for not doing that.

I don't trust you.

Voice of the Loyal

Well, it's something. I told you it's the right call.

Narrator

For you. Bunch of pacifists.

I do?

Voice of the Omen

All the green is new.

Voice of the Loyal

It doesn't look awful.

Voice of the Omen

Her eyes aren't always green, though, right? That's not just me?

Voice of the Loyal

Well we were so busy stabbing her last time I didn't get a good look.

Narrator

Will you give that up?

Voice of the Loyal

No. The green is a nice touch, though. It goes better than I thought it would.

Voice of the Omen

That's almost an insult.

Voice of the Loyal

Meh.

Voice of the Omen

Do you think we're green now?

Voice of the Loyal

Are we green?

Narrator

You're not green.

Voice of the Loyal

Damn.

Narrator

Why do you want to be green all of a sudden?

Voice of the Omen

She's got a theme! New castle, new Presence. Can't we be green? Being green sounds fun.

Voice of the Loyal

Now I'm less sold on the idea of being green.

Voice of the Omen

Hey!

Narrator

Being green doesn't sound that bad. Green's usually good, isn't it? Green's a good thing.

Voice of the Loyal

Green doesn't go nearly as well as you think it does.

Narrator

What's that supposed to mean? You don't know if I'm green.

Voice of the Omen

Are you?

Narrator

What's it to you?

Voice of the Omen

I don't think he's green.

Narrator

What the heck.

Voice of the Loyal

You don't give off a lot of green.

Narrator

This is slander. I'm being slandered. If green doesn't go well then why's she pulling it off, huh? What's she doing that you think I couldn't?

Voice of the Loyal

Look good in it, for one.

Narrator

I hate you.

...I guess I do? Weird. I didn't notice that before. Doesn't look half bad, though.

Voice of the Loyal

She gets it.

Narrator

Hate you.

Narrator

Somehow I feel like this is about to lead to something I actually don't want to happen.

Voice of the Loyal

The only way to get her out is to get her out of the chains, isn't it? Which means bringing the sharp stabby thing we left behind on purpose so she didn't immediately outright hate us. It's called a peace offering.

Voice of the Omen

So now she's seen we went in without it we just, what? Go back and get it now? Is that what the plan is?

Voice of the Loyal

You could be a little more enthusiastic about it maybe.

Voice of the Omen

This feels like a very bad plan. Could we not have checked the chains before?

Voice of the Loyal

What's going to change except something like they're thicker now?

Voice of the Omen

What if they were weaker?

Voice of the Loyal

Did those look weaker to you?

Voice of the Omen

I mean— I guess not? Probably not? But my point stands.

Voice of the Loyal

Your point was bad. Moving on.

Voice of the Omen

Wow.

Narrator

They weren't even weaker.

Voice of the Loyal

And my point stands. If she gets concerned then we can at least explain ourselves instead of walking in with a knife after we, you know—

Narrator

If you bring this up one more time.

Voice of the Loyal

We didn't help her last time.

Narrator

Thin ice. Try again and we'll see.

Voice of the Loyal

Hmm. No thanks.

Voice of the Omen

But why would that work?

Voice of the Loyal

Do you have a better plan?

Voice of the Omen

...No.

Voice of the Loyal

That's what I thought.

Narrator

Fine. Whatever. You get up and turn around and go back and get the blade. The lights outside have dimmed since you went through the first time. It was already hard to see but if the halls weren't so open you'd probably have tripped over or rammed into some corner of a table by now.
You don't. You go back to the table and pry the blade out of where it's wedged into the wood and return through the hall.

Voice of the Loyal

It would be a little funny if we tripped over here and killed ourselves that way.

Narrator

You are just tempting fate with that one, aren't you?

Voice of the Loyal

What? I just thought it'd be funny.

Voice of the Omen

Do you realise now that you've spoken it into being he could decide to do that. He could and would decide to do that just for fun.

Narrator

He wouldn't.

Narrator

I hate you.

Voice of the Loyal

I knew you'd get it.

Narrator

You get back to the room and you don't die, very importantly, but you're going to have to do that for a little longer because the Presence was upset already but now that you've walked in with the blade in hand she's glaring at you.

I'm not so bad at conversation that you had to go back and get a weapon, am I?

Voice of the Omen

She's definitely not the best conversational partner?

Voice of the Loyal

Which you don't tell someone.

Voice of the Omen

That too. But it's very hard talking to someone who clearly does not want to talk to you. Which is the point. But it's not great and I'd rather not.

Put it down and I'll talk to you. I don't want to talk to someone who has a weapon in their hands already. It doesn't really inspire confidence that you're going to talk.

Narrator

I'd say something deeply inspiring like 'you know what to do', except I think all four of us have a different idea of what 'what to do' looks like and I only like one of those. Go do something. I don't know. Don't be stupid.

Narrator

You're absolutely joking. You're giving it to her? You're giving her, the one who killed you last time and is capable of ending the world, the sharp thing that you're supposed to kill her with. That thing. You're giving it. To her. To use. To free herself. That thing.

Voice of the Loyal

Something wrong?

Narrator

Something wrong—? Something wrong? What else do you think is bloody wrong here? You went back and got the thing that you could use to save everybody in this situation, and you're giving it to her! What's wrong with you!

Voice of the Omen

It's not like she trusts us with it. Giving it to her would be the better option, isn't it? That way you can't stab her with it.

Voice of the Loyal

I, for one, trust her with the sharp pointy object of death more than I trust us with it while he's here.

Narrator

You're both impossible. Seriously. You're all idiots. I can't believe I'm stuck with you lot. You make everything difficult. I hate you all.

The Presence stares at you like she also can't believe you're this stupid, but it's really because she's looking at you like she doesn't understand that you're really doing this. Because neither do I.

You're...actually…

Voice of the Omen

Too far to go back now. We committed.

Voice of the Loyal

I'm fairly certain we committed a while before this, but sure. Now we've committed.

Narrator

Ugh. The Presence takes the blade from your hands before I can miraculously convince you to think this is a bad idea. Her clutches it tightly in her hands, knuckles white with the effort to keep it in her hands even though you don't reach for it. Not once has she not looked at you with some wariness, but it's eased some. Because you're stupid.

Voice of the Omen

We're being smart and not dying. And we already said we'd help her. What's the point if we don't try to uphold our word about it?

Voice of the Loyal

Besides. If you're so worried about it then we can decide what to do when she's out. It's not like the world's just going to end immediately. Words don't end that quickly.

Voice of the Omen

How do you know that?

Voice of the Loyal

I'm just guessing. Ending the world sounds like a time consuming thing. What? Do you think it would be click of the fingers, world-goes-dark?

Voice of the Omen

Well, kinda, yeah. Why not, you know? Everything's already weird enough the world may as well end immediately. If it even can.

Voice of the Loyal

No. If the world ended immediately he'd be more preoccupied with trying to kill her.

Voice of the Omen

He already is.

Narrator

He can hear you, by the way. Just making sure you both remember that. The he you keep talking about is very aware you're talking about he right now. He feels very left out of the conversation about he.

Voice of the Loyal

But he'd be more insistent if there wasn't more windows of opportunity.

Voice of the Omen

Aren't you on 'team save the Presence'?

Voice of the Loyal

I am. But we still need options if it does turn out she's a world-ending monster and not some random person shoved into a castle for all of eternity for no reason. For diversity.

Narrator

Or you could—

Voice of the Loyal

No.

Voice of the Omen

Not a chance.

Narrator

Ugh. Fine.

Voice of the Loyal

Aren't you going to say you hate us?

Narrator

And I hate you.

Voice of the Omen

Feels less hurtful every time you say it.

Narrator

ANYWAY.

The Presence holds the blade close to herself as she stands. Shakily, at first, and stumbling back against the wall with a poorly-concealed wince as several of her joints crack. She slowly rises to her full height — towering over you now, which I'm going to say is funny because otherwise I'm going to lose it — and experimentally tugs on the chain. She looks to the blade, the chain, and then the door, considering.

I'd rather use this on the door than try to pry it open with our hands.

Voice of the Omen

Glad to be included on the plan. I prefer this, even. I like being in on this plan.

Voice of the Loyal

Of course you do.

Voice of the Omen

What? Can't I appreciate knowing what's going on for once? She's hard to read. When she isn't being suspicious of us, I mean. That's less fun. I'm not sure why we can't do both, though.

Voice of the Loyal

The blade wouldn't work on the chain the last time. Maybe in case it dulls?

Voice of the Omen

What does a dull blade have to do with a door?

Voice of the Loyal

How am I supposed to know?

Voice of the Omen

Wh— You're the one who said it in the first place!

Voice of the Loyal

Okay? And?

This might work.

Voice of the Omen

What?

Narrator

She doesn't even wait for conversations to— Pause. What.

Voice of the Omen

What? What does she do? What does that even mean? That's so ominous!

Narrator

She's not supposed to be able to do that!

Voice of the Loyal

Not able to do what? What did she do?

Narrator

The Presence grabs the chain binding her to the wall, gives you one more wary look, and pulls her arm away sharply. The chain groans with the pressure, the not-quite-steel grating against itself with a shriek. The Presence continues to tug at it, leaning her weight further and further away until, with a final awful noise, the chain shatters.

Voice of the Omen

She can DO THAT?

Narrator

And she's not supposed to be able to! What did you do last time that gave her so much confidence in that?!

Voice of the Loyal

Why is it suddenly our fault?

Narrator

Because it just is! Don't argue with me when I'm right. She can do that? We're all doomed. I can't believe this.

That worked out...better than expected. I really thought that was going to take off an arm.

Narrator

Better than she expected? Than SHE expected?

Voice of the Omen

Why are you so surprised?!

Narrator

She's not supposed to be able to do any of this! This isn't how it's supposed to work! Far as I was told, she can't free herself from that without someone else's help which means you idiots must've done something!

Voice of the Loyal

Have you considered she's just better?

Narrator

At what! Better at what! Besting the information I was given at the start because she just can? Because she felt like it? I hate this. I hate this place. You all— Ugh.

Voice of the Omen

Are we ignoring she thought it would take an arm? She wants to get out so badly she'd rip off her own arm?

Voice of the Loyal

Is that really surprising? If I was her, I'd also probably give up an arm to get out. Pain is temporary.

Voice of the Omen

But still, a whole arm? Was she ready to just lose it from the shoulder to get out?

Voice of the Loyal

I guess so. She seemed quite happy to use the knife on herself to escape last time, so all things considered she probably isn't that concerned about losing an arm.

Voice of the Omen

You're serious?

Voice of the Loyal

It's not that hard.

Voice of the Omen

No, it's just hard to imagine.

Voice of the Loyal

Good news is you don't have to imagine it. She just admitted to it.

Voice of the Omen

Makes me a little sick, if I'm honest.

Narrator

Good! I'm not the only one! That's horrifying, I don't care if she's a monster. Ripping her own arm off's unnecessarily extreme.

Voice of the Loyal

You were trying to kill her and that's where you draw the line?

Narrator

I'm a willful murderer not a...I don't know. Limb severer.

Voice of the Omen

Can we stop bringing it up?

Voice of the Loyal

I'm just saying.

Narrator

And worse on top of the arm thing, she's free. The Presence looks mildly surprised herself like she's not entirely sure what to do now she's broken the chain.

That never worked before. I was just testing it to make a point, I didn't think it'd do that.

...

Well, that certainly makes a few things easier than I thought it would. That was supposed to be so much harder. Huh.

Voice of the Omen

She's really just going to brush over that.

Voice of the Loyal

You're the one who didn't want to bring it up so why are you bringing it up?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know! It's just bizarre. She just said she'd lose her arm for this and casually moves on?

Voice of the Loyal

But she's free now and that's what we wanted anyway. It made both of our jobs easier, really. What I don't like is how quiet he's gotten.

Narrator

I'm not quiet.

Voice of the Loyal

Yes you are.

Narrator

Do you hear how loud I am? I am so loud. I'm so loudly speaking this right now. Can you hear that. Do you hear me being loud right now. Do you. I'm so not-quiet and so unsuspicious.

Voice of the Omen

Why unsuspicious?

Narrator

Because I'm not suspicious. And for totally unrelated reasons you should stop listening. Right now.

You've gone a bit quiet over there. You doing alright?

Voice of the Loyal

I don't think I trust you.

Voice of the Omen

Wait.

Narrator

It's right there.

Voice of the Loyal

Stop that. Down.

Narrator

It's right there. It's just within reach. She's not looking at you, if you go now she won't be able to stop you.

Voice of the Loyal

Stop it.

Narrator

You can still fix this. We're still fixing this. You messed up because you did something stupid and now I have to fix it.

Voice of the Omen

Stop!

Narrator

You lunge forward, reaching for the blade. The Presence lurches back from you but too slowly, a split second too late to notice your movement. Her hand is tense and cold as you find her grip on the blade. She's not straining enough to stop you from using it against her. Do it. Now.

I knew it. All of it is just an act every time, isn't it? Is the laughter fun for you?

Narrator

What are you doing?

Voice of the Loyal

No. We said we'd free her, so we're freeing her. Shut up.

Narrator

I'm telling you that you can't let her do that! Does the end of the world mean nothing to any of you? End of the world! World goes away! Is this not making sense again?

Voice of the Loyal

I don't care.

Voice of the Omen

Just a bit longer. We just have to hold out a bit longer.

Voice of the Loyal

What do you think I'm doing?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know!

Narrator

The Presence's grip strains against yours. Her face is in a determined set, knuckles white as she curls her hand tighter around the hilt of the blade. Her eyes don't leave where you both hold onto the blade, arm tensed uncomfortably as she forces it away from herself just enough. It would be so much easier if you'd just let me—

Voice of the Loyal

I already said no!

Narrator

But—

Voice of the Loyal

No.

Narrator

The Presence's furious and stricken expression fades the longer you (stupidly) strain yourself against bringing the blade down on her. She stares at you — piercingly and uncomfortably perceptive — and her hostility fades by fractions.

You're doing it again.

Narrator

Her brow furrows. She looks between you and the blade. Realization begins to dawn over her expression.

I don't know what you're doing, but I think I know what you're trying not to do. You...don't want to do this, do you? You- You didn't want to, before. Or else you wouldn't be trying to stop yourself from doing it now so much.

Narrator

Her voice is full of a delayed hope, an erratic revelation. Her desperation isn't quite as desperate as she stares at you. This is excruciating, and we please just—

Voice of the Loyal

Unless you have something helpful to contribute, could you shut up? I'm concentrating.

Voice of the Omen

You're concentrating? On what?

Voice of the Loyal

Keeping this thing out of our hands! What else do you think I'm doing? Trying to find what song we've been thinking of?

Voice of the Omen

There's a song—?

Voice of the Loyal

Not the point! Wrong point.

Okay. Okay, I can work with this. Okay, okay, okay. I think... I think I have a plan. It's not a great plan but it's a plan. You can still walk, right?

Narrator

You struggle to your feet. The Presence moves with you, eyes wide with a renewed hope.

Yes! Perfect. Whatever makes you do this, it doesn't want to let me out, right? So, I think, if I make it out and it fails, then it has to let up eventually, right? Because it failed. So if we leave the room…

Voice of the Omen

Then He'll have to concede.

Voice of the Loyal

You can sound relieved about that when I stop having to concentrate so hard on this! So if you could hurry up.

Narrator

You're all the worst. You're all the worst and you make this impossible. Ugh.

An endless tug-of-war is what it becomes. Every step the Presence will falter just slightly and then push back harder just as the blade begins pressing closer to her skin. One step at a time. A clumsy dance as she balances your weight against her own, step for step. The dry, rotted wood of her chamber becomes the carpet of the hall.

Voice of the Loyal

Only now?

Voice of the Omen

I believe in you?

Voice of the Loyal

I don't feel very believed in with a tone like that.

It's actually working. I didn't think this would work. It's just the hall and the front walls, right? We can do that. We can so do that. That's easy!

Voice of the Loyal

I don't think she realises how not easy it is.

Voice of the Omen

But she's right. Put that way, it's not that much at all.

Voice of the Loyal

For you.

Narrator

I can't believe you're making me do this. I don't want to do this. I would rather do anything but describe this. I don't want to be here. Can I leave?

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you can.

Narrator

Damn. Right. Well. You're going to doom the world. Happy days, three cheers, no more beach party. You make me miserable.

The Presence pauses every few steps, strength waning just as much as yours as you fight to force the other's concession. It's an absolutely unnecessary battle of endurance, and one you're sorely losing at this rate. Each step is tense and poorly coordinated. Her eyes skip across every inch of the hall, unfamiliarity on her expression as she does. The doors on the other end are open. I can't believe you don't close them.

Voice of the Omen

Why would we need to close them? Ever?

Narrator

It's usually polite to close a door behind you when you have to open it.

Voice of the Omen

Not those ones!

Narrator

What do you know about those doors anyway?

Voice of the Loyal

That they're not supposed to be closed again, obviously.

Narrator

Don't you start.

The hall turns to metal doorframe and into smooth stones and moss and wooden beams. The light from the windows has dimmed. Shadows stretch outside, indiscernible shapes that claw against the glass and cling. She leads you around the table, her eyes catching on the large splinter running through it with a brief look of frustrated realisation.

She stumbles over the carpet. Your hand lurches forward again as surprise and panic overtake her expression—

Voice of the Loyal

We're not killing her because she tripped of all things.

Narrator

—and your hand stills and tenses. The Presence recovers from her stumble because you hate me with a heavy, terrified breath that bleeds from her shoulders.

That was dangerously close. Let's...not do that again.

Voice of the Omen

I feel like I'm watching a horror movie.

Voice of the Loyal

Seriously?

Narrator

How do you think I feel in all of this? I'm the one who has to tell you you're doing all this and all of 'this' is awful and a nightmare. This is awful. Can you just stab her? Please? For me?

Voice of the Loyal

Tempting, but no.

Narrator

Spoilsport.

Voice of the Omen

Is that really much of a—?

Narrator

Yes. Shut up. Because you're all awful and you hate the world, you and the Presence stumble haltingly towards the entrance. She's right. I give up. I hate this. This is awful. This is actually the worst, I can't believe you made me do any of that. The world's about to end. I can't believe it. The world's about to end and it's because you're a bunch of heartfelt fools.

Voice of the Omen

We're fools now?!

Narrator

Yes! Yes, you're fools! And you're idiots! Ugh. I can't even believe this. This is. Ugh.

This is almost it. Is this as weird to you as it is to me?

Narrator

Ugh. I'm leaving. I can't leave. Man. I hate this place.

Voice of the Loyal

Less talking, more walking. I beg. It is not easy concentrating on this.

Narrator

Fine. Whatever. Just end the world. I'm over this. The open door stays open when you leave because this world wants to die, apparently, and you're the harbinger of all that's wrong in the world or something. You both exit the threshold of the door, the cold chill of the air hitting you both, and the Presence stumbles forward violently as your arms give up. The blade almost cuts her as she pitches forward and your arm goes limp. But it doesn't. Because now physics hates me too.

Almost immediately after, the Presence wrenches her hand away from yours, blade still firmly grasped. She looks at you in concern and wonder, holding you up for long enough to determine if you'll stay standing if she pulls away, and does so. Slowly. Step by step backward she inches away, only making a full step once she's confident you aren't about to pitch over despite the exhaustion that eats at you. She watches you warily before turning on her heel and sprinting for the opening in the walls that you came from.

I can't believe it. You join her. I can't believe this.

Voice of the Loyal

Finally.

Voice of the Omen

We did it. We did it!

Voice of the Loyal

Oh, never again. Never again. That was exhausting and painful. Ugh. Never again.

Narrator

You've doomed the world. You actually doomed the world.

Voice of the Loyal

You're so dramatic.

Narrator

I don't think you even realise.

Voice of the Omen

I think I realise enough, thanks.

This is...the outside. We're outside the walls.

Narrator

The Presence steps away from you. Her eyes are wide as she stumbles forward out onto the path. Her voice is full of something like tears.

I didn't think I'd ever get to look at it. It was always so...distant. The walls — I couldn't feel anything outside of the walls. But it's here. There's so much out here. And there's…

Voice of the Loyal

...What was that?

Voice of the Omen

Don't like that. Don't like that one bit.

Voice of the Loyal

Her voice dipped. Why did her voice dip? Bad things happen when people do that.

Voice of the Omen

...Is it just me or did he get really quiet?

Narrator

I don't like this.

Voice of the Loyal

Tell us something we don't know.

Narrator

No. No, not that. There's something really wrong here, and it's not about her. There's something wrong here. It's... I don't like this.

Voice of the Omen

What are we supposed to do with that? That is the vaguest thing you've ever told us.

Narrator

There's...

Voice of the Omen

There's...?

Voice of the Loyal

Did he just disappear?

Voice of the Omen

Did he?

Voice of the Loyal

He...did? No, he definitely did. Why did he—

Is... Is it always like that?

Voice of the Omen

What?

The Presence's face turns to the horizon. Her eyes are wide yet sightless as she stares out across the endless expanse. It is getting closer.

Voice of the Loyal

Oh, no, no, no. Don't like that. Don't like that one bit. He's gone, and now she's doing that.

Voice of the Omen

What does she even mean?

Why is it…

She stares at you. Blank, and terrified.

Why is the sky so empty?

Voice of the Omen

What?

Boundless emptiness falls inward, collapsing into itself. It falls softly and violently. Encompassing absolute that crashes upon you and the Presence both. A torrent of shimmering feathers wrap around the Presence in a blinding embrace. You blink without eyes. The Presence is gone.

Voice of the Loyal

What— Where did she go? Where did those things take her?

Voice of the Omen

I... I don't know. I've never seen that before. What was that? What just happened?

Voice of the Loyal

This is... Is this what was wrong? Was this not supposed to happen? He was so unhelpfully vague. Even to the end. Damn it.

Voice of the Omen

What is that?

Unfinished as before, the missing spaces stare out at you. The slots filled in watch you, accusing you of something you do not know. You hold a missing piece.

Voice of the Loyal

You're just giving up?

Narrator

I always knew you'd be rational about this.

Voice of the Omen

What about this is rational?! This is killing an innocent person!

Narrator

Too late! I win!

The Presence's expression twists into bitter fury, teeth gritted as she pushes back against you.

Is that it? Do you do this just to laugh? Laugh at me because I'm alone down here? Because I can't leave? Because you think I need help to leave?

Voice of the Loyal

This makes me feel worse about everything.

Voice of the Omen

It's not like she can hear us, anyway.

Narrator

With a strength that surprises you, the Presence pulls her arm back that forces you to stumble to your knees, your grip slackening with surprise. The noise that rips out of her throat — frustrated and aching — is almost animalistic as she tears the blade out of your hands and almost tries to take your arm out of its socket at the same time.

Voice of the Loyal

Well. This doesn't look good for us.

Voice of the Omen

Oh! Really! What gave you that impression?

Narrator

Her arm plunges forward just as you begin to try to stagger back away from her, arms reflexively coming up to lessen the impact and failing tremendously. The blade lands. Hot blood pools uncomfortably in your chest as it carves through flesh. The Presence doesn't relent, incandescent rage across her face as she presses down on you. Your arms lose strength first, falling to your sides.

I don't need help.

Narrator

She drives it deeper. The blood is thick as it begins to well up and pool under you. Her eyes are wild and hurt.

I don't need someone else here.

Narrator

Deeper. The blade cuts through. The blade stops, and then with a sickening crack and a numbness you feel it break bone. Her hands are covered in a dark crimson that stains her shirt and jacket.

I don't need you alive.

Narrator

It's fizzy around the edges. The Presence pushes the blade until it won't go further. She doesn't let up for even a fraction of a second even as your vision fades. It teeters dangerously in the cavity it has made of your chest as she presses on it, uncomfortably. You're dying here.

Voice of the Loyal

This is your fault.

Narrator

I might have miscalculated. A little.

Voice of the Omen

A little? We're dead! Again!

Narrator

You're not dead yet.

Voice of the Omen

We're dying! Again!

Narrator

That felt unnecessary. Did you have to do that. That was mean. What the heck, guys.

Voice of the Loyal

You just killed us, I think you deserve to be insulted a little for that. What were you thinking? She'd just let us do that?

Narrator

You were supposed to dodge! You were supposed to know that!

Voice of the Omen

This is a disaster. How did we end up here. We should've done something. You should've done something! Why didn't you dodge?!

Voice of the Omen

You should be!

Voice of the Loyal

It's too late. We're already dead, anyway.

Narrator

And she doesn't have the chain anymore, so she can walk out of here. Great. Good work, boys. This was an absolute nightmare.

I'll make it out of here on my own.

Narrator

The Presence stands over you. Blood stains her knees and her clothes. There's a manic look in her eye and a bitter curl to her lip.

You'll understand how it feels to be here alone.

Voice of the Omen

But we're dying.

Voice of the Loyal

That might be the point.

Narrator

You don't get to think about it for too long. Your vision blurs. Everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator

...That's not the worst thing you've ever done to me.

Voice of the Omen

This is stupid. I don't like this. I feel like this is a mistake waiting to happen.

Then we're not talking.

Narrator

If you're going to kill her, you don't have to draw it out like this. This is painful for all of us. Come on.

Voice of the Loyal

You could still put it down. We can talk. Make a different decision.

Narrator

The Presence's eyes narrow. She's watching you. Waiting.

Voice of the Omen

So does anybody else really not like the way it got really quiet?

Voice of the Loyal

Mm, no. This is bad. I don't know what's happening, but this is bad.

Narrator

You and the Presence stare at each other. You blink.

There's the noise of the chain shattering, and then you are being tackled to the floor.

Voice of the Omen

We're what—?

Narrator

It's violent and desperate. The Presence's eyes are wild as she claws at you, ripping open shallow wounds as you try to shove her off of you and away. She'll reach clawing at your eyes eventually at the rate she's going.

Voice of the Omen

The eyes?

Narrator

Abruptly desperate, you swing the blade. The Presence doesn't back away even as the blade cuts into her again and again, nails biting into your skin and finding purchase in wounds and blood. You both rip and tear at each other, the sound of blade on bone and the heavy thunking of skeleton hitting stone.

It's violent. There is no coordination. It's a witless battle of writhing on the floor, bleeding and cracked. Killing each other bit by bit. Your blade cuts through her just as much as she breaks and cracks your bones under her grip.

Voice of the Loyal

She's fighting recklessly. What is the point of this?

Voice of the Omen

Is there a point?

Voice of the Loyal

I'd hope so for this! What is she doing? This is madness.

Narrator

Your arms are broken. Multiple of your ribs have cracked, one broken. Her blood covers you from multiple lacerations and gouges through the meat of her skin, cuts that have nicked into the bone. You're both going to die here.

I won't let it be that easy again. You won't betray me again. Do it again, I dare you. Try it. Try it.

Narrator

The Presence smiles, bitter and furious and gleeful. Her face is paling rapidly. She'll bleed out.

You raise the blade to her chest as she tightens her grip around your throat. The blade sinks into her heart. She breaks your neck with a sickening crack. She laughs.

It goes dark. You die.

Narrator

That was a joke right. A really bad joke that you just made.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't think that was a joke.

Narrator

That was a joke right.

Voice of the Omen

I honestly don't think it was.

Narrator

I want to LEAVE.

Voice of the Loyal

The good news for you is that I think we are? That is the decision that just got made. You were there for that.

Narrator

You're supposed to be doing anything except leaving! I would take trying to save her over you deciding to be a coward and going off and running away! That's stupid! You're an idiot. I'm surrounded by idiots. What's the point. I hate it here. Let me leave. What is the point of keeping any of you around.

Fine. Whatever. You turn on your heel after already walking out to get the blade and leave again. The Presence scoffs, offended, as you do.

What are you doing? You're just going to leave? Really?

Voice of the Omen

She sounds panicked?

Voice of the Loyal

There is something panicky about the way she said it.

Narrator

Well, you're leaving now because you all suck and and hate doing your jobs for everything, so you don't have long to hear her. Walking down the hall already makes it hard to hear anything she says, the echo amplifying it beyond deciphering and the thickness of the walls dampening any of the extra noise that could escape.

Seriously. I don't know where this dedication came from. What, you failed to help her one time so you decide to jump ship into doing literally nothing? Idiot. What kind of choice is that. That's a stupid choice. You should feel stupid.

Voice of the Omen

A little less insulting please?

Narrator

No. Because he's about to ruin even more of my day.

Narrator

Gut premonition.

Voice of the Omen

Oh. Hey!

Voice of the Loyal

You seem very sure of this idea.

Narrator

Because he's a menace and wants to be a problem.

Voice of the Omen

It's not really untrue though. If she can't leave then we could check up once and a while? Or come back when we have a better plan? Maybe we could come back with something that could break the chains. There has to be some kind of civilisation out there, right?

Voice of the Loyal

I don't imagine there would be a lone castle out here without some kind of civilization somewhere nearby. It's...not such a bad idea. I mean, I don't like it, but maybe then we can get something better instead of cutting off her arm or something.

Narrator

(intense grumbling)

Voice of the Loyal

Stop grumbling. You're ruining our vibe.

Narrator

(louder intense grumbling)

Voice of the Loyal

Of course.

Narrator

Right. So. You make it to the front room, I guess. Your plan is to go...out? Into the forest? What do you even expect to find.

Voice of the Omen

A city? A town? Some kind of settlement where someone...has a blacksmith?

Narrator

Why else. Fine. You walk off to the door—

Voice of the Omen

We all heard that?

Voice of the Loyal

That was weird.

Voice of the Omen

It sounded like...glass? Or not glass. Or kind of like glass.

Narrator

That definitely wasn't glass.

Voice of the Loyal

You're all-knowing. What was that?

Narrator

I...have no idea? Why am I supposed to have a clue what that was? None of us know what that was. Why am I supposed to know what that was?

Voice of the Omen

You're the one who's always up in arms about how we have to listen to you because you describe things!

Narrator

Okay? That wasn't a thing to describe that was something that happened and I don't know everything that's happened ever, okay? Do you know how powerful I'd be if I knew everything that happened ever at once? I'd be so powerful. I'd be so much more powerful than you. Not that I'm not already. But I would be if that were the case.

Voice of the Loyal

Hey, guys?

Voice of the Omen

I really don't think you're that strong. I could bet on it.

Narrator

Yeah?

Voice of the Omen

Yeah!

Narrator

I don't think you want to.

Voice of the Omen

I will! I will want to! I so bet!

Narrator

Come on then! I can still learn to smite you!

Voice of the Loyal

Hello?

Voice of the Omen

And I'd just dodge it.

Narrator

What? You can't just dodge being smited. Smitten. What is the tense of that.

Voice of the Omen

Smitted?

Narrator

Smote. Probably. You can't just dodge being smote. Smoted. Smited. You can't dodge that. That's playground rules. 'But I dodge it' you sound like a child.

Voice of the Omen

I'm not a child!

Narrator

Oh, yeah?

Voice of the Loyal

HELLO?

Narrator

What?

Voice of the Loyal

She's right there.

Voice of the Omen

What.

Narrator

WHAT.

Voice of the Loyal

Yeah.

Narrator

She's— How did she manage that? What? How did she do that? She's not supposed to be able to do that. What?

Voice of the Loyal

Are you going to describe it?

Narrator

I mean— The Presence stands in the doorway, face twisted into a snarl and a grimace. Her shoulder is limp and clearly dislocated as she clutches at it. Her chest heaves with each breath. There's a madness to her; desperation.

You were going to leave. Just like that? You thought you'd go and leave me here?

Voice of the Loyal

I told you this was a bad idea.

Voice of the Omen

What are we supposed to do? She's there! She's not supposed to be there! How did she do that? What—?

I've been stuck here for so long. I thought you were going to help me. Did you just want to laugh? Is this what this is about? Laugh at me when I haven't seen a living person for as long as I can remember being trapped here?

Voice of the Omen

We should run, right? We should be running. I would like to run away.

Voice of the Loyal

To where? The door is closed and she could run across the room in the time it takes to pull that thing open. It's not exactly quick.

Voice of the Omen

I don't know! Away! Circle the table or something! Can we climb up into the rafters? That can't hurt us?

Narrator

There's nowhere in here that will help. You're going to have to fight your way through this.

Voice of the Loyal

We could still talk—

Narrator

No time. The Presence sees your brief hesitation and lunges forward. She's going for the blade. You're going to have to fight her off because otherwise you're dying here and you don't seem to want that so! You're fighting! Have fun.

Voice of the Omen

I don't want to die again.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't want to have to kill her again. It feels counterproductive.

Narrator

She reaches you. Her hands are cold as they grapple onto you, her full weight crashing and pushing you against the door with a heavy noise. Your back aches with the force. Her hands wrap around your throat.

Voice of the Loyal

You said she was going for the sharp thing!

Narrator

And she changed her mind, I don't know, stop blaming me for everything that's ever happened because it's not going to help any of us!

[No choice. Fight your way out, you guess. Dying doesn't sound that great. [Keep going]]

Voice of the Omen

You GUESS?

Narrator

It's enough. The Presence, blinded by whatever rage it is, forgets about the blade until you dig it into her side. She shrieks, her grip on your neck tightening. You dig the blade further into her side, the gash widening as your arm trembles with the desperate effort to force air into your starving lungs.

Blood is hot against your hand as you fight to stay conscious. The blade drags through the Presence's skin but she doesn't seem to care. Not more than she wants you dead. Her grip tightens and tightens. You can hear your heartbeat in your head, your ears. You can't breathe. It's going dark.

I'm not letting you leave. We'll both die here. I won't be left here. Not again.

Voice of the Loyal

We said we'd help and now we're here. How is this the commitment we made.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think we'll be able to salvage this one.

Narrator

You...can't. The blade slides across in a jagged, awful line across her belly. She doesn't give any outward acknowledgement of the wound except the rapid paling of her face. She presses down harder. Something gets crushed. You're fading quicker.

You won't get away with this. You won't.

Voice of the Loyal

Well. This has been awful.

Narrator

You don't get to think about it, good news! You're dead.

Narrator

You're on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a town still because you're back here and that did not end ideally. That ended awful. How did you manage that. Genuinely, how did you manage that. That wasn't even in the plan.

Voice of the Omen

Oh! Really! That wasn't in the plan!

Voice of the Deceiver

I thought it went quite well.

Voice of the Loyal

That sucked.

Voice of the Deceiver

You're right, yeah, that sucked. I thought you might turn it around in the end there but then. You know.

Voice of the Omen

We died?

Voice of the Deceiver

Well that's such an indelicate way of putting it. But yes. Dying did happen. That's what happened. To you. Us? It's us now.

Voice of the Loyal

We're going to die again.

Voice of the Deceiver

(offended gasp) You have so little faith in me!

Voice of the Loyal

I don't like the energy you're bringing and I think you're about to get us killed. I'm calling it now. If he gets us killed I'm going to say I told you so.

Voice of the Deceiver

I would never get us killed. Unless I do. In which case I never did. Because I didn't. You died.

Narrator

Are you all done?

Voice of the Omen

No!

Narrator

What? Why not? That sounded pretty done to me.

Voice of the Omen

Well we're not. What's going on, anyway? We died and now we're not dead? Again? She murdered us!

Voice of the Deceiver

You did also murder her. There was a lot of that.

Voice of the Loyal

He does have you there, we have done that a fair bit.

Voice of the Omen

Okay but not that much. We usually don't die being clawed to death by a rapid— her. Whatever she is. Do we really not have a better name for her than 'Presence'?

Narrator

The Presence, actually. If you want to be accurate and not rude. Come on. Get with the times.

Voice of the Loyal

Definite article. Really?

Voice of the Deceiver

Don't judge another person's decisions!

Voice of the Loyal

Who said I was judging?

Voice of the Deceiver

You sounded particularly judging, mister.

Voice of the Omen

What is a definite article?

Voice of the Loyal

You know. The Presence.

Voice of the Omen

That cleared up so little that it was unhelpful. Thank you. Really.

Voice of the Loyal

Happy to help.

Narrator

You're getting sidetracked. There's a Presence still out there and you made the really inspired — good job — decision to not even stab her and you died again. And now we're back here. With another one of your bad decisions. I applaud you.

Voice of the Deceiver

I'm applauding you. I thought that was a relatively good idea. The dying wasn't great but you tried something. Something's always good to try. Maybe not exactly what I would've done, buuuut.

Voice of the Loyal

That absolutely sounds like something you would do.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, really? That doesn't sound like me. Doesn't sound like me at all. This is slander and defamation.

Voice of the Omen

Okay, but...really? We're not going to talk about that. At all.

Voice of the Deceiver

About what?

Voice of the Omen

We don't even have a name for her. I thought we'd have a name by now but we just — don't? It does feel a little mean to keep calling her The Presence like she's not her own person.

Voice of the Deceiver

She doesn't look like the kind of person to have a name.

Narrator

What does that mean.

Voice of the Deceiver

I just don't think she looks like the kind of person that has a name! She looks like the kind of person that you'd see in the edge of your vision staring at you like a ghost that you can't explain and all your friends will call you crazy for seeing, you know? Like the moon.

Voice of the Loyal

Did you just say the moon isn't real?

Voice of the Deceiver

Not exactly, but the sentiment holds. The moon isn't real. Duh.

Voice of the Omen

What.

Narrator

What???? What do you mean the moon isn't real? I can tell you the moon is real. The moon is real. It's up there.

Voice of the Deceiver

Mmm, no, doesn't sound all that convincing. I think she's like the moon because she's a ghost.

Voice of the Omen

You think the moon...is a ghost?

Voice of the Loyal

If we don't move on from this now we're never going to move on. Ever.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh! See, he gets it. I knew I could count on you to have my back.

Voice of the Loyal

Please let it end. I can't keep doing this. I don't want to hear about how the moon isn't real. You're implying that the Presence isn't real either.

Voice of the Deceiver

Because she's not?

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean she's not real! She's real! Thing that aren't real can't murder you to death!

Voice of the Deceiver

Well a lot of things can murder you to death.

Voice of the Loyal

Don't let this be the new thing.

Narrator

It's going to be a thing.

Voice of the Loyal

No.

Voice of the Deceiver

Besides, why would she need to be real to murder you? That sounds like a normal thing to do. You seem to die a lot. Sounds normal to me.

Voice of the Omen

We're dying because she's killing us! That's how that keeps happening.

Voice of the Deceiver

Sure, sure. But she's not really killing you. The blood loss seems to be killing you too, actually. She doesn't control the rate at which you lose blood.

Voice of the Loyal

Do you know how an open wound works?

Voice of the Deceiver

Sure. I just don't think it's plausible that she's killing you. She's not that scary, you know? Moon's fake, Presence is fake, I think you should just walk away, you know? What's the worst that can happen? You don't die?

Voice of the Omen

We want to help her, though. Sometimes. I don't know about him.

Voice of the Loyal

That is the most amount of sense you have made and that explains absolutely everything that has happened so far.

Narrator

I cannot describe the ways that this pisses me off. Genuinely. We have a job to do and we're talking about why the moon is fake and because the moon is fake the Presence, who can end the very real world, is also fake. What is happening.

Voice of the Omen

That's insane! This is insane! I don't want to be here. Why are we arguing if the moon is real? How did we get here?

Voice of the Deceiver

Because I'm right?

Narrator

NO YOU ARE NOT. We're moving on before this continues I can't do this anymore. We're moving on.

Voice of the Deceiver

But—

Narrator

MOVING ON.

Narrator

Don't you start. I swear. Don't you start or I will learn to smite you out of spite. I'll do it. I swear I'll do it.

Voice of the Omen

We're back to smiting.

Voice of the Loyal

This has rapidly become dangerous territory.

Voice of the Deceiver

Hello!

Voice of the Loyal

I still don't like this. I do think he's going to get us killed.

Voice of the Deceiver

That's such a mean thing to say to somebody who hasn't done anything.

Voice of the Omen

To be honest we have been killing ourselves a lot as of late without is interference? So. Really what is the worst that he can do? Kill us again?

Voice of the Loyal

We were supposed to help her and then we lied, which I'm sure has nothing to do with anything, and now we're back here very much alive and very much with a new version of her that hates us.

Voice of the Deceiver

She might not hate us yet.

Voice of the Omen

Track record shows she'll hate us.

Voice of the Deceiver

Neither of you like things that are fun, do you?

Voice of the Loyal

What is that supposed to mean?

Voice of the Deceiver

Well, I'm just saying that you're focusing on the fact she's going to hate you forever because you decided to backstab her twice, sometimes literally, instead of thinking about the fact that there's a new opportunity here to do some new cool fun things!

Voice of the Loyal

Like backstabbing her again?

Voice of the Deceiver

I wasn't going to say that exactly. Sensitive audience and all.

Voice of the Loyal

Sensitive?

Voice of the Deceiver

Sure!

Voice of the Omen

But what about the fact she does hate us because someone keeps doing that backstabbing and now she's probably going to also stab us. In the front.

Narrator

She won't get the opportunity if you do it right.

Voice of the Loyal

And you say that because you mean...

Narrator

Doing your job. That you were signed up here for. You know. That one. The very important one that's going to save the world even though you're absolutely hellbent on ending it for some reason. What is with that? Do you have something against the world that I don't know about? Why are you all so bent on ending the world?

Voice of the Loyal

We're not hellbent on ending the world, what gave you that impression?

Narrator

Do I have to say it again. Do I need to say it again for the millionth time why we're here. Is this because I didn't give you the full introduction speech again? Is this what this is about? Are you that upset?

Voice of the Omen

I do miss it. It does feel la little empty without it.

Narrator

You shouldn't need the speech to know the world is ending! Just move on.

Narrator

Do I have to be omniscient at all times to matter to you?

Voice of the Omen

You are supposed to know what's happening to do what you do, don't you?

Narrator

Sure. Doesn't mean that I just know. I'm cool but not that cool.

Voice of the Deceiver

Don't worry. I don't know what's going on most of the time either and I still make do.

Narrator

You just make stuff up and then roll with whatever ends up working. I know this.

Voice of the Deceiver

And it hasn't failed me yet!

Voice of the Loyal

We're stuck with a group of idiots.

Voice of the Omen

Do you think?

Voice of the Loyal

I am stuck with a group of idiots.

Voice of the Loyal

You keep killing her, you don't get a say.

Voice of the Loyal

Oh? Do you really think so? Has that clicked for you now?

Voice of the Omen

That was so much energy. That was a lot. I really didn't need that.

Voice of the Loyal

You wouldn't be getting it if someone hadn't been an idiot and killed her again. It wasn't that hard! We could've just given her the blade and let her do what she wanted about it rather than, I don't know, trying to keep it because someone who also keeps getting us killed said so.

Voice of the Deceiver

It wasn't that bad of a plan. Sure, she doesn't like us now, but that means we get to build from the ground up! Trust and all that fun good stuff. She's not expecting any good from us so maybe she'll be easier to work with!

Voice of the Loyal

Or she'll think we're lying by being nice and then try to kill us again. She already broke the chain once. That means she could do it again, and worse we don't know what us dying last time has done to her.

Voice of the Omen

You think it's done something to her again?

Voice of the Loyal

It must have. It did last time, and that was the second time we ever met her, so meeting her for a third time must change something else.

Voice of the Omen

That would make sense... But what if she's just the same as normal?

Narrator

What is normal. What do you mean normal. Nothing about this has been normal! What do you think normal means? Changing every time you die?

Voice of the Omen

Have we changed since we died?

Voice of the Loyal

That's a good question. Have we?

Narrator

No time to check. Just carry on already. You're wasting more time and every second you spend out here she spends with more ability to get out on her own, which we don't want, in case you forgot.

Voice of the Omen

You think we're doing something wrong?

Voice of the Loyal

We keep dying, for one.

Voice of the Deceiver

Of totally unrelated means to anything.

Narrator

No. No, you're not going to tell me you don't believe in murder too. No.

Voice of the Deceiver

I would neveeeer.

Narrator

You would. Yes, you absolutely would. Don't even give me that. You would. You infuriate me.

Voice of the Omen

So, what, we're not supposed to die? Then why does he keep killing us?

Narrator

I'm not the one that keeps killing you!

Voice of the Loyal

You killed us the first time.

Narrator

He's the one who wouldn't make the decision that didn't kill you. Stop blaming me and blame him more. What did I do?

Narrator

Hey. Careful.

Voice of the Deceiver

What if we consider, for just a bit, that it's not about dying?

Voice of the Omen

What would it be about, then? We're dying. She doesn't always really die. Dying is the only common thread we have.

Voice of the Deceiver

What if it's not dying, though?

Voice of the Loyal

Are you going to suggest an alternative?

Voice of the Deceiver

No.

Narrator

What is the point of this conversation again?

Voice of the Deceiver

I'm just saying, I think maybe dying is the really obvious reason this is happening, which of course could be the only reason and you're right and dying is a major problem. You should stop dying. But if it's not dying. You get it?

Voice of the Loyal

Not even a little bit. If you don't think it's dying, then what else could it be? Do we think really hard about going back?

Voice of the Omen

I don't remember thinking that much about it.

Voice of the Loyal

That doesn't mean as much as you think it does.

Voice of the Omen

What—

Narrator

Whatever it is, it's not important. You're not supposed to be dying at all. Flat zero. You just pathetically bad at dodging so you're dying to things you shouldn't. Like the Presence. She's not even that scary.

Voice of the Loyal

You try saying that when she's trying to kill you.

Narrator

I will. But you shouldn't be being killed this time, because that's the whole point. Not dying. I don't know, make it into a science experiment or something. Whatever makes it fun and then makes you not die.

Voice of the Omen

That is the most unhelpful piece of advice I've ever heard.

Narrator

Shut up. Just go in already and let's get this over with so you can die again faster since you're so bad at staying alive.

Voice of the Deceiver

Is it? I don't see much of a difference. Still lots of trees. A path.

Voice of the Loyal

No, he's right. There's a bit of snow over there.

Narrator

Huh. So there is. That's weird.

Voice of the Omen

It hasn't been snowing, though.

Voice of the Loyal

Can it snow? We're not exactly given the luxury of having multiple days.

Voice of the Omen

Unless we are?

Voice of the Deceiver

What, like they're knocking you out and then dumping you here?

Voice of the Omen

Not — I mean, not really? Not not that. But not that.

Voice of the Loyal

You're crazy. It's just snow and a few different trees. It's not the end of the world.

Narrator

Yet.

Voice of the Loyal

Is anything going to make you chill put? Seriously. THis is getting concerning. Do you have something you really want to save about the world or are you just like this all of the time?

Narrator

What do you mean 'like this all of the time'? This is perfectly normal! I'm so normal about this right now. This is the most normal I've ever been. I'm so average about this and the end of the world that nobody but me seems to care about, because all of you hate caring about anything that's ever existed.

Voice of the Omen

We're not that bad.

Voice of the Loyal

Exactly. We're not so bad we want to see the world end. We just don't like you enough to believe you.

Voice of the Deceiver

I believe him.

Narrator

This doesn't help me.

Voice of the Loyal

Snow and trees aside though, this is a nice place to put a castle, don't you think?

Voice of the Omen

If you get snow up here then I don't know why it would be. That sounds like a nightmare to deal with.

Voice of the Deceiver

Snow melts.

Voice of the Loyal

See! Snow melts. I'm right, you're wrong.

Voice of the Omen

What? What am I wrong for?!

Voice of the Loyal

You just are.

Voice of the Deceiver

Hurtful.

Voice of the Loyal

But true.

Voice of the Omen

Ouch.

Narrator

You're all the worst. I want a new person to come do this. Why do I put up with this. You don't need answers if you could just do your job! End of the world, remember?

Voice of the Loyal

Just in case we did forget, how about you explain that?

Narrator

No. Just — go to the castle already. I don't want this in my life.

Voice of the Omen

The silence feels a little unnecessary.

Voice of the Deceiver

I think it's super necessary. It makes us look at cool and stuff as we walk up, like we're on a secret mission to go — do something.

Narrator

Kill her?

Voice of the Deceiver

Sure! Are we doing that?

Voice of the Omen

After answers.

Voice of the Loyal

If we have to.

Narrator

Bunch of…

Narrator

Are you kidding. You're kidding. Seriously?

Voice of the Deceiver

Okay, but I'm curious too! What happens if we leave? Can we leave? What's in the forest if we go that way, snow?

Voice of the Loyal

Trees, probably.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think anything.

Voice of the Loyal

Oh, really?

Voice of the Omen

Well, everything focuses on her, right? So if we go further away before we even go into the castle then it's going to get...worse? I don't know. There's just a hunch that leaving is something ... weird.

Narrator

You have a hunch for that?

Voice of the Omen

I mean. I do now.

Voice of the Loyal

That is such a suspicious sentence.

Voice of the Deceiver

I think he's telling the truth. It'd be weird to lie about this, wouldn't it? Forests and bad vibes go together for a serial murderer.

Voice of the Omen

Are we a serial murderer if we only killed the same person?

Narrator

Try for a third time and find out.

Voice of the Omen

I'd no longer like to see if we're a serial murderer if we killed only one person multiple times.

Narrator

What, seriously? Boring. You're all so boring. Ugh.

Fine. You turn around and walk back into the forest. It's...foresty. The trees are different and mixed as you move, and snow becomes more present but never on the path. More of a light layer here and there on branches and grass.

You keep walking. Anyone can interject any time they want. Feel free.

...No?

Voice of the Omen

I don't know what you really want us to say. We're going on adventure?

Voice of the Deceiver

We are going on an adventure, though! It's a big fun adventure into the big world of 'anywhere but the place we're supposed to be', which is personally one of my favourite kinds of adventures.

Voice of the Loyal

Does this path even lead anywhere?

Narrator

You keep walking and eventually run back into exactly where you are. Isn't that convenient?

Voice of the Omen

Did we get twisted around at some point?

Narrator

No. You're just supposed to be here or whatever you said. Or something like that. I don't know. Just go in already and end my suffering. I don't have to tell you about how she's going to lie to you. Probably. She's going to lie to you and all that. Just go. You all tire me. This is a nightmare. This is so tiring. Ugh. I can't believe I'm doing this.

Voice of the Omen

Right. So, what's the plan?

Voice of the Loyal

That's an awful plan.

Voice of the Deceiver

It could be better?

Voice of the Omen

Could be worse, though. I don't feel a lot like stabbing her is the right thing to do.

Voice of the Loyal

Didn't we have this agreement before?

Voice of the Omen

Well, yeah, but this is a different kind of wrong about stabbing. I don't want to stab her to stab her, but also I want to know what happens if none of us do anything with it?

Voice of the Deceiver

You are? Why would you be interested in that? Stabbing people is half of the fun.

Voice of the Omen

Because, I just— I don't know. Having the thing just makes everything worse in the long run. She can break the chain now, can't she? So if we just...ask her to break it and none of us pick it up, we'd be fine?

Voice of the Loyal

That's...not a half bad idea. That's incredible from you.

Voice of the Omen

Seriously?? I put all my thought into that and you tell me that's 'kind of okay for me'? See if I ever share my ideas again!

Voice of the Deceiver

Meeeh, I think it's stupid and doomed to fail.

Voice of the Omen

You're excluded from this conversation.

Voice of the Deceiver

What? Why am I excluded? I like being included not excluded. What did I even do?

Voice of the Omen

You insulted the perfectly normal for me plan!

Voice of the Deceiver

I'm being honest about it! I think it's a bad plan! You could do so much better. Or we could just stab each other and see what happens. The murder is a little bit fun. I have to admit.

Voice of the Loyal

You have to realise we cannot trust a single thing you have said ever.

Voice of the Deceiver

What! I'm being genuine! This is normal! Come on, you can trust me. Who wouldn't trust me? I'd trust me.

Voice of the Loyal

That's because it's you. I think that it's a decent plan and all things considered the most likely thing to work. I don't like it.

Voice of the Omen

Come on, man, seriously?

Voice of the Loyal

It's a decent enough idea.

Narrator

Are you done, or do you want to plan in front of me how you're going to save her some more? I'll wait. I can sit here and wait. I don't mind. We're just wasting more time that she can spend getting herself out of the room she's currently trapped in and making her way out into the world where she can, for reasons that seem crazy to you all, end it.

Voice of the Loyal

Just a little bit morbid, don't you think?

Narrator

Just go already.

Voice of the Deceiver

What—? What was that about? I feel like I just missed something. She's actually supposed to end the world.

Narrator

I— I want. I want to walk away. But I can't. I'm a stronger man than this. Nope. I can stay. I swear, just go already.

Voice of the Omen

Well— No, doesn't it look like it's even more of a tower, this time? That's a lot of tower.

Voice of the Loyal

It does look more and more like a tower. I wonder why that is.

Voice of the Deceiver

A deeply psychological response to isolation and betrayal manifesting as a sense of distance from the ground, and so also people, so as she keeps changing the building will also keep changing to reflect that?

Voice of the Omen

...Oh.

Voice of the Loyal

Didn't see that coming.

Narrator

I think you're reaching.

Voice of the Deceiver

Okay, well. I tried.

Narrator

The interior of the castle is...weirdly a lot of dirt. I didn't think about it at first, but there's a lot of dirt. There's still the big room and a table in the middle, but the rafters and wood from before are replaced by roughly cut stone and the walls overtaken by the moss and dirt. It doesn't match much of the exterior at all, except for the way the tower was made of the same badly cut stone in this room.

The wooden door on the other end of the room looks partially rotted through. Entirely ineffective to keep someone in, by the way.

Voice of the Omen

There's a weird theme going on here.

Voice of the Loyal

Nooo. Really?

Voice of the Omen

Seriously! There's a weird theme here. You're not seeing it? The stone and the moss, now there's grass and moss everywhere? Weird nature stuff?

Voice of the Deceiver

Do you think it means anything?

Narrator

What would grass say about a person.

Voice of the Deceiver

Good things, I hope. I, personally, haven't talked to a plant before but I could give it a try.

Narrator

Somebody smack him.

Voice of the Deceiver

Hey!

Voice of the Omen

The knife's gone, though.

Narrator

The what's what now?

Voice of the Loyal

He's right. The blade isn't there. It doesn't even look like it was there to begin with.

Narrator

Hang on. That's not supposed to happen. What? It can't just jump up and leave. How'd that happen?

Voice of the Omen

Is it because she had it when she killed us?

Narrator

But that also doesn't make sense. If she got to keep it every single time she kept the blade you'd run out of blades quick.

Voice of the Loyal

Did that sentence make sense to you when you said it?

Narrator

I know what I mean. Shut up. That's besides the point. The point is she's not supposed to be able to do that and I'm not sure how she managed that.

Voice of the Deceiver

You were saying every second not spent in here she had the chance to free herself.

Narrator

Oh, for the love of— No. For all of our sakes, I'm going to be optimistic and say it's just gone for a walk or something equally ridiculous because if she has it I'm going to. I don't know. I'll do something.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't like most of those odds.

Narrator

Neither do I! But it's where we are so we're going to live with it like men.

Narrator

The hallway is in as much of a state of entire disrepair as the front. Flooded with dirt that's seeped in through cracks in the walls and stone arches made to hold up packed earth. Whatever accessories there were here have been lost for longer than they existed to begin with. There's not a window in sight, your only light being the few dimly lit torches that line the hall itself.

Walking feels like moving across an old, well-trodden dirt road. Tightly packed and unnervingly smooth. The door at the end of the hall is left gaping and open, one rotted through and the other in pieces.

If the Presence really is here, I'm beginning to think maybe she did get out.

Voice of the Omen

What's with the door? We went from no door to a door to now the doors are broken? This doesn't feel very effective.

Voice of the Loyal

Does the poet have anything to say about it?

Voice of the Deceiver

Looks like doors. They're not doing a very good job, though. If they're trying to keep something in it's not doing a very good job because they're clearly broken.

Voice of the Loyal

Okay. I tried.

Voice of the Omen

I'm still not a big fan of the way this is changing every time. Doesn't it creep anyone else out? I don't know what it's even changing for. I don't like it. There's something weird and foreboding about it.

Voice of the Deceiver

A little bit of dirt's never killed anybody!

Voice of the Loyal

Have you ever heard of a landslide?

Voice of the Deceiver

If a landslide gets us from inside, I will be the first to admit I was wrong.

Voice of the Loyal

And you'd be dead.

Voice of the Deceiver

I meant what I said.

Narrator

Seriously? We're arguing about whether landslides kill people now. This is what we're doing. Instead of focusing on the fact the person who has a lot of reasons to want you dead currently has a sharp object and is free to roam?

Voice of the Omen

It feels like a horror movie. Can we still leave?

Narrator

Too late. The Presence's voice, clipped and mocking, reaches through the doors.

You're back again. Missing something?

Voice of the Omen

She definitely has it.

Voice of the Deceiver

Hear me out, what if we pretend to have it? Then she might think she didn't get the right thing. She hasn't seen you take it before.

Voice of the Omen

It's not hard to tell what it is. It's very obvious when it's there.

Voice of the Deceiver

But she doesn't need to know that!

Voice of the Deceiver

Aw. Fine. Have it your way. Boooo-ring.

Narrator

You push against the rotted wood. It falls apart under your hand, the wood uncomfortably soft as it does.

The chamber roof is strangely shaped now; a convex shape despite the square. Stone arches thread their way across the walls and roof, keeping packed dirt in place. Leaning against the furthest wall is the Presence, the chain shattered on the floor beside her. In her hand, she twists the blade around.

I can't believe it. She has it. We're so doomed, boys, I don't mean to alarm you. But we are a little bit doomed.

Voice of the Loyal

Not going to lie, I do feel a little bit in danger right now.

Voice of the Omen

A bit?! I expect her to stab us in five minutes!

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, five minutes is generous.

Voice of the Omen

Is it???

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, definitely. I give it about one conversation before she kills us. Unless you're really good at diverting her attention, and then maybe two conversations. She's got that look in her eye.

Voice of the Loyal

Do I want to know how you know a look in somebody's eye that they're going to kill you after a conversation?

Voice of the Deceiver

Well, it all started after a—

I thought you'd come back. Death sticks a little to you as it does to me, huh?

Narrator

The Presence, stupidly tall as she is, stands straighter. Her grip on the blade is solid. Trying to pry it from her might...actually be the worst possible choice.

Voice of the Omen

Are you suggesting we don't kill her?

Narrator

For now! If dying is the cause of this, then not dying is the best idea, isn't it? So you don't die. Which means don't run into the blade. Which she has. Simple.

Voice of the Loyal

Can't argue with that.

Narrator

The Presence's face is mirthless as she smiles at you, too much teeth and all parts too many parts bristling.

Do you know what's really funny? I could leave this room on my own. I broke the chain like a twig and I left and I could take this little knife you keep—

Narrator

She waves around the blade carelessly. Holds it upright and lets it swing down, twisting it between her fingers. There's a thin line of blood running down her palm now you have a good view.

Actually, so do you. You have a thin cut just near a finger. Shallow, hardly likely to do anything but be minorly inconvenient for a minute or so. How did that happen?

Voice of the Loyal

I have a bad feeling I know exactly how that happened.

Voice of the Omen

I don't like it when you have bad feelings.

Voice of the Deceiver

What's so bad about a little scratch? Maybe we just scraped something on the way in. And she's got a knife, not to alarm anybody. She is carrying a very sharp knife.

Narrator

That's what's worrying me.

But I couldn't leave. I couldn't open the doors outside. I was so close and I still can't even leave. Do you know how funny that joke is? That big cosmic joke that keeps using me as a punchline? Isn't that just hilarious?

Narrator

Her smile was already all teeth, but it's increased. Vivid and frustrated, she watches you. Every twitch of a breath. Tension is riddled across her frame, not moving closer but leaning just so.

You're not going to do anything but hurt me. That's all you've done. You leave, you stab me, you do nothing but refuse to do everything that you said you would. Which is fine.

Voice of the Omen

I get the feeling this isn't fine.

Voice of the Deceiver

I have a feeling something maybe ill-advised happened.

Narrator

You don't say.

The Presence's eyes catch on something. It makes her stop, for only just a beat, but then she's laughing something distant and excited.

It's fine. Because I'm having a great day. I'm having such a good day. Don't you realise it? I could break the chain. I could walk around. Isn't that so good? This is a good day. And it's getting better.

Narrator

Her smile thins as she extends her arm out and then — shoves the blade through it. A sharp spike of pain lances through your own arm followed by the warmth of blood and— Holy, did she?

Voice of the Omen

Ow!

Voice of the Loyal

This isn't going to be good. Oh dear.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh. I see the problem now.

You can't kill me. I can't kill you. Don't you get it? You're never going to hold up on your promise. You're never going to help me. But I'm a threat to your life now. And we can keep doing this as many times as it takes, can't we? Because we don't stay dead.

Voice of the Loyal

Mm. No. I don't like the direction this is taking. This is sidestepping quickly into unhinged territory and I'm deeply concerned about it.

Narrator

What. You're switching to team kill her only now we can't do that? You're not serious.

Voice of the Loyal

Who said I was doing that? I just don't like where this is going. There's only two options here!

Voice of the Omen

She's threatening us with her life?

Voice of the Deceiver

Our lives, technically. It's very effective.

Narrator

Just — be careful about this. She very well could follow through.

Voice of the Omen

Did you not?

Voice of the Loyal

I'd probably have also stabbed you for that.

Narrator

The Presence smiles sardonically and with far too much teeth.

I didn't think you'd stab me because I trusted you either. I guess that makes us even on not understanding each other.

Did you really expect me to accept being stabbed? Did you really think I'd have taken that lying down? Who am I to you that you think I'd die?

Voice of the Deceiver

She does make a point. She has been very historically bad at dying so far.

Voice of the Loyal

So have we, do be fair.

Voice of the Deceiver

Who stabbed who first?

Voice of the Omen

Whose side are you on?!

Voice of the Deceiver

Ours! Obviously. I have nothing but our best interests at heart and our best interests, of course, include a little bit of science. How else are we supposed to know what not to do?

Voice of the Omen

How does that help? She kills us!

Voice of the Deceiver

Why, it means we know if we stab her again, we will die!

Voice of the Omen

We knew from from the first time we did that! And we didn't even do that one. That one was all him!

Narrator

Don't bring me into this.

Voice of the Loyal

I think it's too late.

Voice of the Omen

I'm not letting you live that down. You're here with the rest of us.

I'm giving you a chance. I don't trust you. You want to hurt me. We'll get sick of each other after the tenth try.

Either we work with each other here or we rip each other apart forever. Whichever sounds better to you.

Narrator

Neither of those are good. Both of those are absolutely awful. What kind of choices are those? 'Work with me or die'? Seriously? Is this what's getting you all caught up right now?

Voice of the Omen

I vote not being here forever.

Voice of the Loyal

I still want to help her. I want to know where this goes.

Voice of the Deceiver

I abstain.

Narrator

You abstain? Why are you even voting? Why are we voting?

Voice of the Deceiver

Dunno. I already picked my side.

Voice of the Omen

Yeah. Neither of them.

Voice of the Deceiver

That you know of.

Voice of the Loyal

Oh, this'll be interesting.

There is no forever.

Narrator

The look that the Presence gives you is both parts frustrated and desperate. Her hand tightens around the blade as she, wide-eyed and wire-tense, straightens and yet curls in on herself. She stares into you, unflinching.

There's no forever. There can't be a forever like this. Do you really not see it? How much there is out there? How little there is when we're both in here?

We're dying because there's no other way. Either we make it out or we die. Don't you see that?

Voice of the Omen

So there is something.

Voice of the Loyal

It's not a lot of a 'something'.

Narrator

It's nothing of a something. Do I have to go back to saying the opening speech so you remember she's just going to say stuff if it helps her out? Two stages in isn't going to change the fact she wants out and she'll play every sympathy card she can. Duh.

Voice of the Deceiver

I think she sounds wonderful and friendly.

Narrator

You'd say that about anyone.

Voice of the Deceiver

You don't know that.

Voice of the Omen

Lying or not, that's such a weird thing to lie about.

There's no staying here forever. All we get to do is make choices.

Voice of the Loyal

I feel like that's...weirdly optimistic? That feels like such an optimistic sentence completely undertoned with the most nihilistic pessimism I have ever heard.

Voice of the Omen

That is the least reassuring thing I have ever heard. I feel so unassured.

Voice of the Deceiver

But we're leading with an apology! That's progress.

Voice of the Omen

It's not even an apology. It's saying maybe we'll apologise.

Voice of the Deceiver

And?

We both know that's a lie. You already stabbed me just because you could.

Voice of the Loyal

She's got you there. You did do that.

Narrator

It's not like promising is going to stop me, anyway.

Voice of the Deceiver

That you know of.

Narrator

What.

Voice of the Loyal

What does that mean?

Narrator

That. What does that mean. What.

Whether or not I have to stab you is up to you. Don't pretend you're innocent in all this, traitor.

Narrator

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???

Voice of the Deceiver

You'll find out!

Narrator

THIS IS NOT COMFORTING.

Isn't that just great for me?

Voice of the Omen

There is more yellow, now that I think about it. It's the eyes.

Voice of the Loyal

Not bad. Not loving it. Not quite the colour. Too much like the sun.

Voice of the Omen

Do you have something against the sun??

Voice of the Loyal

Maybe. What do you think?

Voice of the Omen

Well. I, uh. I don't know. Probably? Sounds like something you'd do.

Narrator

What about someone makes them seem like they'd hate someone??

Voice of the Deceiver

No, no. I'm with him on this one. You would hate the sun.

Voice of the Loyal

Have I done something to the both of you?

Voice of the Omen

It's just true. He doesn't believe the moon is real. You hate the sun.

Narrator

Stop bringing up the moon thing. I swear, stop bringing up the moon thing. Don't think I won't learn to smite you all. I'll do it if you keep doing that.

Voice of the Loyal

I just don't think the yellow looks as good as the green! Why is this a crime to you people?

Voice of the Deceiver

A crime. Like the moon you all keep talking about.

Narrator

SURREPTITIOUSLY—

Voice of the Omen

That's so loud!

Narrator

—The Presence looks at herself while you're all distracted arguing about something really stupid that's pointless because the moon exists.

Voice of the Deceiver

That's what you think.

Narrator

I'm going to—

You're thinking loudly.

Voice of the Loyal

I feel like I just got perceived. Didn't like that one.

You have— What?

Narrator

You're not just supposed to say that?! What are you thinking? What are you doing!

Voice of the Omen

Why couldn't she know about us? If there's nothing stopping him from saying it then we're not some big secret of the universe.

Voice of the Deceiver

I want to be a secret of the universe.

Narrator

Too late, apparently, because someone can't stay quiet about the people he talks to in his brain.

Voice of the Loyal

At least he made our allegiances clear.

Voice of the Omen

That's your problem?

Voice of the Loyal

If she's going to be upset at one of us she may as well be upset with the right one.

Voice of the Deceiver

If it has to be clarified, I'm doing what I want to.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think it needed to be clarified at all. You give off that vibe.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, do I? That's wonderful!

Narrator

The Presence, wisely, scoffs and sneers at you.

Voices or not, you still did what you did. That's not up to them. You did that. I'm not misunderstanding any impression as far as I'm concerned. You did all that.

Voice of the Omen

We didn't even do that! We didn't even do that the first time! Come on.

Voice of the Deceiver

But she's blaming the right one, isn't she?

Voice of the Loyal

I am less and less convinced of whose side you're on.

Voice of the Deceiver

I'm on the side I've always been on.

Voice of the Loyal

Uh huh.

Voice of the Deceiver

Don't sound so unconvinced!

Voice of the Loyal

Uh huh.

If you're looking for excuses, try a better one. That one sucked.

Voice of the Omen

I feel a little insulted?

Voice of the Deceiver

You get it!

Voice of the Omen

Yes there is.

Voice of the Loyal

There is.

Voice of the Deceiver

Noooo. We'd never do that! Why would we do it a third time when we've already seen it the first and second time? There's no fun in that!

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you should repeat any of that. Telling her killing her is boring sounds like a very quick way to die. I do not, in fact, feel like dying.

Voice of the Deceiver

But it is! Just a little bit. It's not that cool, you know? Dying. We've died twice! It's not nearly as exciting the second time.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't know how to feel about dying been described as boring.

Right. Because I'll believe that. There's no way you'd try to kill me for a third time. Riiiiight.

Narrator

Even as she says it, her eyes narrow into a glower. The grip she has on the blade shifts in a threat.

Voice of the Omen

We're going to die before we even do anything.

Voice of the Loyal

Right. Because absolutely nothing poor can come of this. At all.

Voice of the Omen

This is absolutely where we die. This is where we die. We're dying. We're dead, even. We're so dead. We're dead and we're dying.

Narrator

You're both pessimists for no reason. Damn.

Voice of the Deceiver

It can't be that bad.

Narrator

Duh.

You lunge forward just as she looks away from you to the door. You make it close enough for the Presence to tower over you as you make for the blade, but there's not enough force. Your hand doesn't make contact with even the hilt before she's plunging the blade into her thigh, the sharp pain lighting up in your own.

Before you have the chance to try to grab for it again, she shoves you back several stumbling steps. She doesn't seem to care at all for her openly bleeding wound, her face split into a manic grin.

Try that again and see what happens. I dare you. I dare you.

Voice of the Omen

Okay. Not dead. Not dead is good.

Voice of the Loyal

Not very convincingly alive.

Voice of the Deceiver

But we are! Living is good. I like living.

No.

Voice of the Loyal

Well. Happy that she put that forward so quickly.

Voice of the Deceiver

What, and we're not even going to be roundabout about it? We're just telling her that 'you're just going to kill me, so I do nothing'? There was so much room for nuance there. Where's the pizzazz? The embellishment? Flair? No?

Voice of the Omen

I think it's a bit too late for flair, bud.

Voice of the Deceiver

I know! Isn't it awful?

Narrator

Do you all mind? Your decision maker's making another awful decision and we're the ones having to bear the brunt of it.

Voice of the Loyal

Truly. The word of the people.

No. You don't get to say you're not involved. You did this. You kept choosing, over and over, to do what you did and you didn't even look guilty. You don't get to call it now. You don't get to back out of your own decisions, you hearing me?

Voice of the Loyal

For reasons totally unrelated, I say we should back out.

Narrator

What, a couple of threats and you're on team 'get this thing off of the planet'?

Voice of the Loyal

No, of course not. I...am just not entirely sure that she's...entirely stable.

Voice of the Omen

And refusing to help her isn't going to make her less unstable?

Voice of the Loyal

Well. No, I suppose that is true. How did we get here?

Voice of the Deceiver

Questionable decision making.

Narrator

The Presence leans forward, expression thunderous.

You're not leaving without me. So either we work together, or we're stuck here for a very, very long time. I don't think you want to be stuck here for a very long time.

Voice of the Omen

No, she's right, I don't want to be.

Voice of the Deceiver

Ah, but you know who would?

Voice of the Loyal

Don't. Please. Don't put the idea in his head.

Voice of the Deceiver

Someone who, perhaps, is interested in a little bit of pushing buttons for science?

Voice of the Deceiver

I knew it!

Voice of the Loyal

How. Why. What goes through your head that we can't see.

Voice of the Deceiver

Ha! I get to see what the bad ideas do. I win!

Voice of the Omen

I don't like how quiet he got just then.

Voice of the Loyal

I think he's about to have a meltdown.

Voice of the Omen

I'm about to have a meltdown.

Narrator

I am going to an early retirement.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, it can't be that bad, can it? What's a little bit of pushed buttons? The worst that happens is we—

Fine.

Voice of the Deceiver

Hm?

Narrator

You watch the Presence stare you down. Her arm raises.

Voice of the Loyal

I have a very sudden bad feeling.

Voice of the Omen

I think she's about to kill us.

Voice of the Loyal

She's about to—?

Narrator

The Presence plunges the blade through the side of her neck.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, that is not what I thought was about to happen. Oh. Oops.

Voice of the Omen

There it is.

Voice of the Loyal

That's not good. That is not very good at all.

Narrator

With a sickly saccharine smile, you and the Presence both collapse to the floor, choking on your own blood. It stains into her side where you can see her. Wild-eyed, the yellow of her irises reflections of the pool under her. Her smile doesn't waver. It stretches instead.

In the stillness, the Presence breaks out into a wet, gurgling and lilting laugh.

Try again.

Voice of the Deceiver

That was...bad. That was bad. You shouldn't have trusted me there.

Voice of the Loyal

I told you so.

Voice of the Deceiver

That was...a poorly thought out idea on my part. I should not have encouraged that. This is on me. I'll admit. This one was on me.

Voice of the Omen

And we're going to have to do this again.

Voice of the Loyal

See you all on the other side, then.

Narrator

You make this so much worse. Everything goes dark and you die. Whatever.

That depends.

Voice of the Omen

Depends?? Depends on what???? Who feels like stabbing who??????

Voice of the Loyal

Well. Probably. If nobody's overcome with particular violent urges, then it should be okay.

Voice of the Omen

I don't think you realise how little confidence that gives me in any of us making it out considering just who makes the choices all the time.

Voice of the Deceiver

Well that's mean!

Voice of the Loyal

It is true though. He has gotten us this deep into trouble.

Voice of the Deceiver

Well— No, you're right. We are in a bit of trouble.

Well? We have a door to get to, don't you think?

Narrator

The Presence nods her head to the crumbling door you indirectly just destroyed and pushes herself off the wall. She doesn't blink, always partially watching you cautiously, and she stops just before the door with an expectant look.

Voice of the Loyal

Smart. Getting us to go first.

Voice of the Omen

I don't know if I'd like having my back to her, actually. I don't think I like that idea.

Narrator

Unless you have any other ideas, it's what you're doing.

Nervous as you are — or some of you are—

Voice of the Deceiver

I think this is justified. I don't know what you're all on about. If I was her, I'd also stab us, so.

Narrator

—or aren't— you step in front of her and walk down the hall. It's colder now, and though there are no windows there's little pockets where soil hasn't filled that now fill with thin, weak rays of moonlight. If you start up again about the moon thing I'm throwing us onto the blade in her hand.

Voice of the Deceiver

Duly noted. No promises.

Voice of the Omen

If that is how we die I'm quitting.

Narrator

The Presence hums idly as you walk down the hall. A strange, lilting tune that fills the space as much as it leaves it empty. Every so often the blade pokes into your back like a reminder and a threat.

Voice of the Omen

She really wouldn't care if she had to stab us, would she?

Voice of the Loyal

I can't say I'm surprised. Treating anyone's life that easily would do things to anyone.

Voice of the Omen

But she'd kill us and accept she'd die, too?

Voice of the Deceiver

It is very convenient!

Voice of the Omen

Whose side are you on?!

Voice of the Deceiver

Yours, of course!

Voice of the Loyal

Something makes me doubt that.

Voice of the Deceiver

Aw, you don't trust me? I haven't done anything! I'm so innocent here.

Voice of the Loyal

We'll see.

Nope! You don't get to talk now. Otherwise you say things you don't mean, and I'll believe them again. We don't want that.

Narrator

She presses the blade against your back, insistent until it pricks. She hums again. The hall feels longer than it did getting to the chamber, like it's extending itself to try to keep her contained. Stretching itself to prevent it. But it doesn't work. You reach the open doors.

Crossing the threshold into the front chamber is like a wave of nausea. The Presence doesn't seem to either notice or outwardly care as she, finally, dodges around you to make for the door. She falters the closer she gets to it.

Voice of the Loyal

So this is what she was talking about.

Damn…

Narrator

The Presence turns back to you, her expression thin and her teeth gritted. She looks pale.

Voice of the Loyal

Or, that.

Voice of the Omen

Or what?

Voice of the Deceiver

Ohhh, I see it. The door's blocked.

Narrator

Thank you. The door is blocked. A thin cord of something that looks like...is that rope? Why rope? That's so useless. Fine. Somehow rope got across the door. Whatever. The important part is the Presence can't get closer to the door, recoiling last second looking violently ill, but you can.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, this is interesting. She's going to have to trust us with the stabby pointy thing.

Voice of the Loyal

This is going to go poorly.

Voice of the Omen

I wonder why.

Narrator

Good news for you, the Presence seems to realise this too with as much dawning horror as me. This was supposed to be easy and now we're here, where I think killing her is actually going to cause a worse problem. How did this happen.

The Presence glares you down. Her expression is grave as her grip on the blade tightens and then she thrusts her arm out at you.

Fine. But I warned ya.

Narrator

I feel...remarkedly less excited about this than I want to.

Voice of the Omen

Really?

Narrator

She did say it. If death is why it keeps happening...

Voice of the Loyal

Then killing her here is just going to give us a new go.

Voice of the Deceiver

Well, it can't be that bad, can it? If there's a new one I'm sure we could handle it. Maybe we'll get the sharp thingy this time because we had it! Then she can't trap us in a death loop.

Voice of the Omen

He makes a good point.

Narrator

For all our sakes, we're going to have to hope that's right.

Whatever hope flickered in the Presence's eye as you hesitate is shattered into a deep fury and despair as you grip the blade and strike it into her ribs. Your chest explodes into pain but you don't have time to think about it. The Presence grabs your arm, her grip far from bruising and closer to crushing as she holds pressure against the bone.

You dig the blade in further. You've committed from the second you decided to kill her, there's no going back from this. I hope you know what you've just done to all of us. Your arm breaks under the pressure with a grotesque snapping. Her arm makes a similar sickening crunch. The blade cuts through her skin, a blazing mirror of pain shooting from over your own chest as the blade slips and lacerates her front as she pushes your arm away.

Again. Again. You'd do it again knowing you're not ever going to leave. Really. Really?

Voice of the Omen

This isn't going to go well.

Voice of the Loyal

I have a very bad feeling about what's about to happen.

Voice of the Deceiver

It can't be that bad, can it?

Narrator

You don't get time to think about it. The Presence slumps against you, throwing you both, unsteady, to the ground. She laughs, cackles, into the dirt floor.

I'll remember this. I'll remember this forever. Oh, this is going to be fun, don't you think? We're going to be doing this forever. And ever and ever and ever because you chose this! You chose! Ha!

Narrator

Your vision fades. All you see is red as you die.

Voice of the Deceiver

Guys. I think we messed up.

Narrator

I can't believe I'm saying I think this is the better idea. I can't believe this. What have you lot done to me. I want to resign. I need to resign. I'm resigning.

Voice of the Loyal

This was an unnecessarily long and stressful road to one thing.

Voice of the Deceiver

Aw. I was kind of looking forward to seeing what she'd do.

Voice of the Omen

Really?? You wanted to see what she, the half-crazy yellow lady who would stab herself to stab us, would do if we stabbed her again? Really??

Voice of the Deceiver

For science! I wanted to see what would happen. Push it a little, y'know?

Voice of the Loyal

This is the reason I thought he'd get us killed.

Narrator

Whatever. You reach for the blade with hesitation. Just as you reach it, the Presence's hold around it tightens before relaxing, and she all but shoves it into your hands. You stumble back towards the door. I'd say you have a chance now, but this has honestly done so much damage that I can't even. I can't.

You. I don't know. You do whatever. You cut the rope and it's just a rope. It wasn't even doing anything except being inconveniently in the way looped around the door handles. This is pathetic. Who did this? What was the point in that?

Voice of the Loyal

Mild inconvenience so you have a breakdown?

Narrator

I feel like I'm having a proper breakdown. I'm. I give up. The door opens under your hand. The Presence stumbles forward, looking significantly less sick. You did it, I guess. I need to lie down. Don't call on me ever.

Voice of the Omen

Did he actually just go?

Voice of the Deceiver

I think he did. I have to respect it.

Voice of the Omen

What are we supposed to do without him? Just go on?

Voice of the Loyal

He never said we can't do things without him? He just described everything and then bullied us for decisions we didn't make.

Voice of the Loyal

You're the guilty one in this conversation, you don't get to speak.

You...did it. You did it. I didn't think you'd actually do it, I really expected you to stab me there. Huh.

Voice of the Omen

...Now what do we do? Do we just sit here?

The Presence stumbles towards the doors. There is an unexpected weakness to her. She doesn't pale, no sign of the illness that washed over her as she got closer to the door. Instead she collapses into the doorframe. Her arm extends out to the sky, a wide smile on her face.

Voice of the Loyal

What's happening to her? Is this supposed to happen? This doesn't feel normal.

Voice of the Omen

I don't know. Should we help her? What are we supposed to do in this situation?

Voice of the Loyal

Do you think she'll try to claw us to death again if we get near her?

Voice of the Deceiver

Well, we do have the sharp pointy stab stab...

Voice of the Omen

We're not killing her here. He's right. I don't think staying here would have been any better than...I guess ending the world? I don't know if I even believe him. She's leaning out the door and I don't see the end of the world.

I made it... I actually made it... I never thought I'd…

Her breath runs short. A distant horror takes place over her relieved, dreadful smile.

Voice of the Loyal

What's happening?

Terror has her turning to you, eyes wide and yet vacant. Mechanically, drawn to it, her head turns back to the world. To the sky. She shudders.

Voice of the Omen

Nope. Nuh uh. Noooo.

Is... Is the sky always so dark?

Voice of the Deceiver

What does that even mean? The sky's always dark. The moon's not real.

Voice of the Loyal

There's no way you're bringing that up now.

Boundless emptiness falls inward, collapsing into itself. It falls softly and violently. Encompassing absolute that crashes upon you and the Presence both. A torrent of shimmering feathers wrap around the Presence in a blinding embrace. You blink without eyes. The Presence is gone.

Voice of the Loyal

What— Where did she go? That's. What was that?

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, no, no, no. Didn't like that. Did not like that. Noooo, sir.

Voice of the Omen

What just happened? I've never seen anything like that before.

Voice of the Loyal

Was this not supposed to happen? Is this the end of the world he kept talking about? He was so unhelpfully vague I don't even know if this was the point.

Voice of the Deceiver

Is that...?

Voice of the Omen

What is that?

Unfinished as before, the missing spaces stare out at you. The slots filled in watch you, accusing you of something you do not know. You hold a missing piece.

Narrator

You're on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is still a town because you're back here and this is getting tiring. How many more times are you going to do this? Genuinely.

Voice of the Deceiver

I thought it went quite well.

Voice of the Loyal

That was awful.

Voice of the Deceiver

You're right, that sucked.

Narrator

I don't know how you've managed to screw up killing this badly. This has to be a record somehow. How did you manage to do it this bad? There's no way you can do it this bad unintentionally.

Voice of the Omen

You're the one who set us up to do this! I don't know why you're upset about it.

Narrator

I didn't do anything! I killed her one time. You lot are the ones deciding to go out of your way to keep trying! I'm not doing anything.

Voice of the Loyal

You did still set us up. That does still count if you think about it.

Narrator

Once! One time! I didn't do anything the last two! You're all idiots. If you want to blame someone go blame the one who keeps doing it.

Voice of the Omen

But you started it!

Narrator

Are you five?

Voice of the Omen

Am I?

Voice of the Deceiver

We have ages?

Narrator

Nevermind. Just— I don't know! Go deal with the problem you all keep causing already and stop sucking at murder. You're bad at killing people. I didn't know it was possible to be bad at killing someone but you are.

Voice of the Loyal

You're very upset this keeps happening when you're the one who wants to keep killing her. That's a you problem if you ask me.

Narrator

She's supposed to be dead and stay that way! Not whatever this is. This is bad. This stuff? Sucks. Do better. Kill someone better. Go do something or stand around being all weird or whatever you do.

Voice of the Omen

You did that! You're the one who did that!

Voice of the Deceiver

It was very informative. And also incredibly painful and we shouldn't do that again probably. Dying isn't very pleasant when you're there for it.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean 'there for it'? You were there for it the other times! Kind of. Not really. But you were! You know about it.

Voice of the Deceiver

That doesn't mean I know how to die unpainfully. I'm all for ill-advised experiments for the name of information but dying wasn't good and so I think we should be avoiding that for the foreseeable future.
Which might also mean not irritating the...aggressive and maybe wants to kill us even more than before Presence who will be at the end of the long dark hallway of death and bad.

Voice of the Loyal

That was a lot.

Voice of the Omen

She's going to want to kill us.

Voice of the Deceiver

Did you not think about that before?

Voice of the Omen

She's going to WANT TO KILL US.

Voice of the Deceiver

I said that.

Voice of the Loyal

I doubt talking to her's going to be any help at all either. Because of somebody.

Voice of the Deceiver

Okay. It wasn't my fault but I may have been responsible in some ways. But I'm not the one at fault. Just like the other one over there isn't at fault because he killed her first and now she's forever upset at us.

Narrator

Why am I getting brought into this again?! What did I do!

Voice of the Omen

Kill her.

Voice of the Loyal

Murder.

Voice of the Deceiver

Maybe extortion.

Narrator

Since when was extortion on the board! Why didn't I hear about this?

Voice of the Omen

That's what happens to murderers.

Voice of the Deceiver

They stop seeing extortion?

Voice of the Omen

Sure!

Narrator

What??

Voice of the Loyal

You heard them.

Narrator

Ugh.

Voice of the Deceiver

You've been thinking?

Voice of the Loyal

Wooooooow. Brutal.

Narrator

Is there a new one?

Voice of the Loyal

You're curious?

Narrator

It's been this long. If I'm going to be stuck with you idiots I want to know who else is there rattling about in this echo chamber of a nightmare.

Voice of the Loyal

Hurtful but fair.

Voice of the Omen

Is there a new one? I haven't heard anything that's not one of you.

Voice of the Deceiver

Maybe they're shy. You're all very loud.

Voice of the Loyal

Usually whoever it is starts talking immediately.

Voice of the Omen

'Usually'.

Voice of the Loyal

What do you want me to say? 'Of the two times this has ever happened where we can only assume this is a universal truth that dying spawns a new person to join us in talking about everything going on and derail every conversation, the new one starts talking quickly after the introduction'?

Voice of the Deceiver

That's not bad, actually.

Voice of the Loyal

I should've guessed.

Narrator

Where is the new one? There hasn't been anything. Was there just not one this time? That's weird.

Voice of the Omen

Does it say in your weird mystical scripted world there's supposed to be one?

Narrator

First of all, rude, don't insult it like that. Second, I just know things and get to describe things, I don't just read it all. I have some self-respect. Third, no. It's way weirder actually.

Voice of the Omen

It's weirder?

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh, weirder's usually good.

Narrator

I don't think weird is ever supposed to be good. Weird usually means something bad's going to happen.

Voice of the Deceiver

The world is about to explode weird, or you keep insisting the moon is real weird?

Narrator

DON'T BRING THAT BACK. I swear. You know what? You don't get any answers anymore. That's what you get for that. Stop bringing back that stupid moon thing.

Voice of the Deceiver

Aw.

Narrator

Well, no, but also yes, but also kind of?

Voice of the Loyal

That's three different answers?

Voice of the Omen

What does that even mean.

Narrator

Because I do know what's going on because that's kind of my job here but I don't have a clue what's going on at all because I'm not paid that well and kind of because it's not that had to figure out what's going on but it's still all weird and unclear.

Voice of the Omen

Then what is happening then?

Narrator

Dunno.

Voice of the Omen

You're kidding.

Narrator

Hundred percent serious. Not a damn clue what's happening but I also know what's happening and I don't do do don't. Hope this helps.

Voice of the Deceiver

Now that was a sentence. It was a sentence.

Voice of the Loyal

If you want to say so, sure. It was a sentence. I don't know about whether or not it conveyed any information.

Voice of the Deceiver

Well, of course! We learned that he doesn't does do doesn't or whatever. Maybe that's useful somehow.

Voice of the Omen

We're doomed. We're so doomed. It's so over.

Voice of the Omen

The snow is weird.

Voice of the Deceiver

There was some snow last time, wasn't there?

Voice of the Omen

But not a whole bunch of it like that. That's full piles of snow and rocks. There was not full piles of snow and rocks there before.

Voice of the Loyal

All the trees are different too. They're more spruce than oak.

Voice of the Omen

Great signs. Awesome. We're going to die.

Voice of the Deceiver

Right, right, we could be doing that, especially considering we're dealing with a very upset Presence-whatever-that-is who could have a very sharp object. But. Consider: we don't do that.

Voice of the Loyal

By...hiding in the snow?

Voice of the Deceiver

Not what I meant but if you think so, sure.

Voice of the Loyal

Alright. Well.

Voice of the Deceiver

She can't come out here, so we could just stay out here where all the fun snow and trees are and roll down the hill and not go into the scary castle where the death lady is.

Voice of the Omen

'Death lady'?

Voice of the Loyal

The hills don't look comfortable to roll down. The way this day is going I'm expecting there to be bodies in there or something equally awful.

Voice of the Deceiver

You don't know that! Maybe it's a perfectly good hill of snow you're talking bad about. Would you hurt its feelings like that?

Voice of the Loyal

Yes.

Voice of the Deceiver

Huh.

Voice of the Omen

Pretty rude of you, to be honest. I'm sure the mountain is lovely.

Voice of the Loyal

We aren't going to raise alarm bells about how the forest behind us is extremely dense? Nothing about the fact it's dim out here? No? Nothing?

Voice of the Deceiver

We talked about the snow and the hills so I think we're pretty accomplished in talking about our surroundings. There's snow. Hills. Maybe frozen dead people. Potentially dark and spooky forest. Sounds like a normal place to me.

Voice of the Loyal

Really. And nothing about how it's changing is concerning you at all.

Voice of the Deceiver

Not even a little. At all.

Voice of the Loyal

Uh huh.

Voice of the Omen

I, for one, vote you stop trying to kill her because it's clearly not working out.

Narrator

That plan sucks.

Voice of the Omen

Whose team are you on?

Narrator

The one that means killing her and not either dying or starting again.

Voice of the Loyal

I don't like that plan either.

Voice of the Deceiver

You're all boring.

Narrator

You're still on that?

Voice of the Loyal

It's a valid discussion. We're not getting answers about anything other than some vague information from the Presence, but that's not really a lot to go off of for...anything. And there's you.

Narrator

Me?

Voice of the Omen

Yeah. You're really weird. I mean, you were there from the start just like me, but you're way different from me but also really not? You're like us but you're all weird and distant.

Voice of the Deceiver

Oh! That's what that feeling is. I thought he was just a psychic goop thing and we weren't supposed to bring it up.

Narrator

I guess I'll try not to take offense?

Voice of the Loyal

You are weirder than you accuse us all of being.

Narrator

So, what? You think this is my fault? I want her dead so we can be done with this, why would I be the one making all of it? I don't even know how more voices keep spawning in or where they come from apart from the obvious.

Voice of the Omen

You keep telling us she's going to end the world and you won't tell us how or why!

Narrator

She just can. I don't have to know why trees grow for them to grow, do I? The Presence can end the world and will if she gets out. Why she'd do it is her own business and I don't really care about knowing why she does it more than it's in everyone's best interest her to not let her do that. Why is this so hard to understand? Is it because he's really bad at killing her?

Voice of the Deceiver

You're also bad at doing it. You did it first and that's how we got into this situation.

Narrator

UNHELPFUL.

Voice of the Loyal

Is now the time to start trying to rally against each other? Angry woman in the castle waiting to possibly murder us. In case we forgot.

Voice of the Omen

And if we go there are we just going to end up in a different forest? We go to the castle, we die, and we end up back here again. Why is this happening?

Narrator

I'd give you answers if I had any. It's not like I'm purposefully not telling you stuff. I know only a little more than you all do and it's all irrelevant stuff like 'air's cold' and the whole 'you're on a path end of the path is the yadda yadda whatever here to slay her because she'll end the world'. I could lie to you and tell you the sun's in the sky if that makes you feel better. Does lying make you feel better?

Voice of the Loyal

Touchy.

Voice of the Omen

I want better answers.

Narrator

Then go find them yourself! I'm not going to suddenly know the answer if you ask me enough times.

Voice of the Omen

Hm.

Voice of the Deceiver

We want to go into the dark scary forest?

Voice of the Omen

It's maybe better than trying to go closer to what will definitely kill us?

Voice of the Loyal

Is it? Dark forests tend to have more things that will kill you than buildings with very dangerous people.

Voice of the Omen

Also that. That one is also good.

Narrator

Whatever. Fine. You— do nothing. You're not doing anything. I thought you wanted to go whatever it is you do in dark scary woods with things that kill you.

Narrator

Hey? When you say 'proceed to the castle' you're usually supposed to, oh, I don't know. Go to the castle? Instead of standing there like an idiot?

Voice of the Omen

What's up with the wind?

Voice of the Deceiver

By the way, are there supposed to be wolves? I haven't even heard birds in this forest.

Voice of the Omen

That was a wolf?

Voice of the Omen

I'm not the only one who heard that, right?

Voice of the Loyal

That's never a good sign.

VOICE OF

something

Voice of the Omen

...Is that the one we were missing?

Voice of the Deceiver

So, I know there's a lot happening, but this one is weird and new and I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. The loud silence is unnerving. But it is kind of cool.

Voice of the Omen

Cool—? I feel like I'm about to get murdered!

Voice of the Loyal

All things considered, that's not impossible.

Narrator

That's not what's supposed to happen.

Voice of the Loyal

Oh, really? I'd never have guessed.

Voice of the Omen

Do you know what it is?

Narrator

What, so now that I'm the one who isn't sure I can't sound sure about my answer? This is stupid. Your standards are stupid. There's wolves and you're judging me for my factual opinion on the matter.

Voice of the Deceiver

So there are wolves.

Voice of the Loyal

You're about to suggest something.

Voice of the Deceiver

We should feed them.

Voice of the Omen

No, I don't think we should. I don't think we should be doing any of that, actually. I think we should be avoiding the wolves that are— They're getting closer. They're getting closer.

Voice of the Loyal

That's not good.

Voice of the Omen

REALLY.

Voice of the Loyal

You get so snippy when you're stressed.

Voice of the Omen

I REALLY WONDER WHY.

Voice of the Deceiver

And loud.

Narrator

There are wolves surrounding you. Their shadows against the trees and thick foliage barely decipherable in the low light. A low, haunting whistle picks up; distant and accompanied by the occasional faintest sound of unhurried sticks breaking. Something is coming closer. There shouldn't be anything out here to begin with, what is going on?

Voice of the Loyal

I have an idea. I don't like the idea, but I have one.

Narrator

You're not even going to share?

Voice of the Loyal

Because if I'm wrong then this is possibly more distressing than before so I think we should all assume different things. And also because thinking it may manifest it into existence and I don't think we all want that.

Voice of the Omen

What do you mean we all don't want—?

Voice of the Deceiver

Is that the castle over there?

Voice of the Omen

What?

Voice of the Deceiver

Through that gap in the trees. Isn't that the castle? Or. I mean, I guess it's more of a really tall tower now, but same thing.

Narrator

It...is, now that you mention it. That's definitely what the castle looks like here. Just a really tall...tower. It's all pointed and haphazard rock until the top platform which looks like a...hut of some kind? It's like we're dealing with some kind of inferiority complex witch out here.

Voice of the Omen

A witch?

Voice of the Loyal

Would you say that's better or worse than a Presence?

Narrator

How am I supposed to know? Both? I don't think a witch will end the world. A Presence would but I can't say that if you let a witch out of that place she'd end the world.

VOICE OF

this way this way this way this way this way this way