Tower of Paradise

—Shit, is he coming towards us? —Raymond's face hardened and visibly paled.

—He approaches people and starts a staring contest, trying to get you to close your eyes —I explained while we advanced with rigid expressions, following my instructions—. Do not close your eyes or try to avoid his gaze. Do not overreact or make noise.

I licked my lips, feeling them dry and my throat parched. I realized I needed some water, but that was the least of my concerns at that moment.

—If you follow the game's rules, he will not attack you. Do not do anything that might upset him —I paused, realizing that the undead was heading in the other direction, where the last duo was advancing. I sighed with relief, although I knew it was only a temporary respite—. Advance very carefully... and very calmly.

The monster arrived in front of the couple and stopped before them, less than a meter from their faces. He said nothing, simply raising his bloody hands.

Only his imposing height generated anguish and anxiety. The Incarnation of Terror was not only physically frightening but possessed a terrifying aura capable of extracting the soul of any person... People with low levels of existence could not stand before a being of superior level; his mere presence would generate panic and desperation. This was the kind of fear I felt when I first saw the undead.

—¡Damn...! —the man with the cap shouted as soon as the undead approached, committing the first fatal mistake.

—How lucky that he went to them first. Hurry, but do not run —I indicated to my companions, taking advantage of the distraction.

—¡H-Help me! —the woman trembled like a colander and grabbed the shirt of the man beside her tightly, terror paralyzing her ability to reason.

—¡Let me go...! —the man gritted his teeth firmly without looking away from the undead in front of him, aware that any abrupt movement would be his death sentence.

—¡Aaaaargh! —the woman could not bear it any longer and looked away for a second. When she realized it, an enormous bloody hand covered her face, making her scream like a pig in a slaughterhouse. The man with the cap looked from one side and ran away while screaming, also sealing his fate.

—Faster, but... do not run —I repeated the same words like a mantra. I really did not know if I was saying it to the others or to myself—. Calmly. Do not lower your guard... or you will die.

Our group advanced at a rapid pace, taking large strides but maintaining composure.

—Do not look back. Advance towards the portals quickly —I instructed, knowing that every second counted.

Suddenly, the Incarnation of Terror appeared behind us. My face hardened, and I felt a drop of cold sweat sliding down my forehead, crossing my skin like a tiny glacier. Feeling a cold shiver running down my spine, I forgot to breathe.

—It will be fine. There is no need to look him in the eyes if he is behind us. Keep advancing slowly —I said, trying to maintain calm for everyone.

The undead stretched his long hands towards Raymond's and my neck. I felt like I was walking on eggs, that the slightest sound or movement would trigger our death.

I could feel the undead's movements on my nape. He was waiting for any of the three to make a mistake. I felt my skin bristle while an electrifying terror ran through my muscles, tensing them to the point of pain.

By now, we were just 20 steps away... almost... just a little more! I encouraged myself silently. KathyIn trembled like a flame about to go out... Without knowing exactly why, I grabbed her hand, and she slowly stopped trembling. Perhaps it was a mistake to show that moment of weakness, that human connection in a place where humanity was punished.

Suddenly, the Incarnation of Terror moved and appeared in front of our group.

Raymond opened his eyes forcefully, surprised. I tried to maintain my composure, narrowing my eyes but not looking away, but... the monster focused on KathyIn.

He stood in front of her, less than a meter away. With a furious roar that sounded like the clamor of metal being torn, revealing a row of terrifying teeth that looked like sharp spines in a corrupt garden, an abyss of nightmare threatening to devour her entirely.

—Ah... —KathyIn cried silently. Tears crossed her face, her expression showing sadness. Agony spoke in silence, screaming without sound...

¡Damn! ¡Damn! ¡Damn!

I cursed everything I could in my mind, feeling how helplessness devoured me from within. I should have been more attentive; I should have protected her better.

—Ars... Arceus... —she slightly turned her head and looked at my face. The tears seemed like pearls sliding down her face, jewels of suffering adorning her condemned beauty.

I did not look at her when she cried, while my own heart broke into a thousand pieces, shattering in an overwhelming silence. If I made a sound... it would be my end. And I knew it. It was inevitable, and that certainty was destroying.

—¡H-help me!

The Incarnation of Terror grabbed KathyIn's head with his bloody hand. I held her arm, but I did not move. I could not do anything. I wanted to do something; I wanted to fight, scream, die with her... but I must not do it. I could not. I did not want to be here. I did not want to see this. And yet, I could not look away.

—¡Help... —the monster tore off KathyIn's head in front of me, and it rolled on the ground like a macabre trophy.

The entire world slowed down; time stopped at that instant. Those ruby eyes that would never open again, that beautiful blue hair that would never wave in the wind again, that warm voice that would never speak again. My entire body trembled, my soul shattered into pieces, losing one of the few people I had truly come to appreciate. I did not collapse; I contained the emotions flooding my mind, blocking my voice with a knot in my throat that threatened to suffocate me.

Why? What did she do to deserve this?

Was it wrong that she existed? Was it wrong that I became fond of her?

An intense sensation flooded my entire body. My expression wrinkled like that of a demon thirsty for revenge. A rage that burned like a volcano about to erupt, a pain that flooded and drowned my chest, a corrosive guilt that made me tremble as if millions of needles were piercing my skin, and a regret that made my soul break into invisible tears, tears that were lost in the silence of my mask. I could feel these emotions like natural disasters causing havoc inside my heart, destroying my sanity piece by piece, taking me to the edge of an abyss from which I feared I might not return.

I could do nothing. I could only worry about my own life. The result was always the same... death. Death that pursued us all in this cursed place.

—H-help me... —in the distance, I heard the moan of a dying person. The undead disappeared from my sight upon hearing it, like a predator attracted by the sound of weaker prey.

I looked at the ground, downcast, taciturn, while heading towards the portals. As my legs moved on autopilot, the floor seemed like a rotten womb sinking under my feet with each step. I continued walking, not knowing when to think, not knowing if I deserved to keep living when she had died.

I headed to the portal opposite the one Raymond was going to. There were still people out there, people who needed my protection, my support, but I felt shattered, empty inside, like a sky without stars on a moonless night. The darkness seemed to close in on me, and I did not know if I had the strength to face it.