As night enveloped the landscape in a soft darkness, Ishikawa and Saé found themselves under a deep blue sky, studded with sparkling stars. The stars seemed to dance in the immensity of space, illuminating the firmament with a mysterious, bewitching glow.
Ishikawa, immersed in the contemplation of this celestial spectacle, let his mind wander among the glittering constellations. He began to think aloud.
"How many... How many riddles will we have to solve before we reach freedom? Are we really on the right track?"
The riddles seemed like so many mysteries to decipher if we were to hope to find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Saé, seeking to bring a touch of optimism to this gloomy reflection, tried to reassure Ishikawa.
"I'm sure we'll get through this in the end."
His gaze was also lost in the infinity of the starry sky, finding comfort in the beauty of this peaceful night.
Ishikawa, however, remained perplexed,
"You know, Saé, some questions can sometimes go unanswered... Like the question of how many stars there are in the sky. Sometimes a question can't be answered precisely."
His analogy between the riddles to be solved and the stars in the sky perfectly illustrated the immensity of their task and the uncertainty that surrounded them.
Above them, the stars continued to shine brightly, giving the impression that even in the deepest darkness, there was always a glimmer of hope to be grasped.
As Saé gazed once again at the starry firmament, she was once again hailed by that mysterious voice. The words she heard plunged her into deep reflection, opening up new perspectives on the situation around them.
"Bun! I think..." she said, before noticing that I was completely asleep.
Full of determination, Saé felt a new energy invade her, a glimmer of optimism in the depths of darkness. She turned to Ishikawa, trying to instill in him some of the courage that now animated her.
"Ishikawa!" she began in a soft but resolute voice, "I know that sometimes it's easy to lose hope, especially when we're faced with adversity. But I firmly believe in something bigger than ourselves, in people's ability to stand up and fight for what they believe in."
Her eyes burned with a new intensity, as she continued, carried away by her surge of conviction. "All over the world, people are fighting to recover the beauty of this world we have lost, to restore what has been destroyed. Because deep down, we love this world, we cherish its wonders and we refuse to see it sink into oblivion."
Saé laid a comforting hand on Ishikawa's shoulder, seeking to convey her infectious hope. "We're not alone in this struggle, Ishikawa. As long as we keep faith in the future and in the strength of our humanity, we'll find our way to the light, even in the deepest darkness."
Ishikawa received Saé's words with gratitude, recognizing the comforting softness of his words in the darkness of the night. He sketched a slight smile, touched by Saé's willingness to watch over them despite the fatigue in her eyes.
"Thank you, Saé," he replied sincerely. "I know you're tired, you can rest, I'll take over the watch."
But Saé shook her head gently, her resolute gaze leaving no room for doubt. "Don't worry, I'll stay awake," she insisted. "It's best if we're all vigilant, especially in these uncertain times."
Ishikawa noticed an enigmatic gleam in Saé's eyes, but chose not to press the point. He respected her desire to remain on guard, even as he wondered what could possibly motivate her to maintain this watchful posture.
"Well, have it your way," he finally nodded, accepting her decision without seeking further information. "I'll be here if you need me."
The next morning, the sky awoke in a peaceful shade of blue, but beneath this serene appearance, the sense of anticipation was growing. Imminent explosions loomed on the horizon, a blue notification flickering before us to warn of impending danger.
Saé inhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Ishikawa, attentive to her condition, gave her a reassuring smile,
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine!"
He even offered her the chance to close her eyes so as not to witness the impending destruction. But Saé shook her head determinedly, refusing to look away from the challenges and fears before her.
"I wonder how it will turn out for Edano..."
As doubt crept into Ishikawa's mind about leaving Edano alone, Saé seized the opportunity.
"It's a good thing he wanted to confirm his theory himself."
She pointed out that Edano's immunity to death could provide them with a crucial advantage in resolving the ordeal.
[The explosions will take place in 3 minutes.
From now on, it's impossible for you to leave your field until the explosions are over].
The countdown sounded, its echo echoing through the air, a cacophony announcing the imminent explosion of the bombs. Everyone mentally prepared themselves for the chaos that was to follow.
[Time remaining before explosions:
- 1 minute]
[Time remaining before explosions: 50 seconds:
- 50 seconds].
[Time remaining before explosions: 20 seconds:
- 20 seconds]
[Time remaining before explosions:
- 5 seconds]
[The explosions are about to sound!]
After the final tick of the countdown, the deafening crash of bombs tore through the morning calm, heralding a new wave of destruction and despair. The cries of those who had ended up on the wrong side of the tracks rang out once again, filling the air with heart-rending lamentations. This time, the scene that unfolded was even more terrifying, more chaotic, more bloody than the previous one. The landscape, once green and welcoming, was gradually being transformed into a tableau of dark, macabre colors.
Strangely enough, faced with this repeated spectacle of horror, I felt nothing. No emotion crossed my being. The first time had been so traumatic that I'd lost the ability to feel anything at all. In this world that had become a battlefield, I felt like an empty body, devoid of soul, an inert shell drifting with the horrors that surrounded it.
"HAAAAAAAAAAA!"
After the last echo of the explosions had faded into the distance, a wrenching cry ripped through the air, breaking the ponderous silence that had followed the tumult of destruction. It was a cry of distress, unnatural now that the bombs had fallen silent and the danger seemed to have vanished. Intrigued and worried, we followed the sound, our footsteps lining up with the frantic rush of survivors rushing in the direction of the cry.
"Why did this happen? How could this have happened?"
Arriving at the scene, we discovered a group of people, their faces distorted by pain, kneeling around one of their own, fallen under the invisible blows of terror. Their heart-rending sobs filled the air as they mourned the tragic loss of their companion. The scene was imbued with raw, heart-rending emotion, revealing the vulnerability and fragility of the human condition in the face of the ruthless cruelty of this ruined world.
The reality was far more brutal than we could have imagined, because we all knew what it meant. The group, kneeling before the corpse of their deceased companion, prepared to face the same merciless fate. In a final moment of distress, one of them turned to us, his eyes filled with dread and despair.
"You bastards, it was one of you who engineered all this! You don't realize what you're getting into. I hope the world perishes with you all!"
His words echoed in the tension-laden air, an ominous warning of our own destiny.
Then, in a flash of terror, his body was seized by a violent explosion, throwing him into a shower of blood and shredded flesh.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The horrified cries of those witnessing this macabre scene mingled in a cacophony of despair as the rest of the group were also consumed by the same fateful fate. The scene unfolding before our eyes was one of indescribable horror, a spectacle of destruction and despair that seemed to encapsulate all the cruelty of this ravaged world.