Atem x Reader ☆ A Shadow in the Dark

Chapter 3

I take my first steps away from the wall I had been planted on. The little light here vanishes quickly upon my contact with the darkness. It's rather convenient for me. The dark surroundings provide a good cover, and anywhere I go I can trust to be a hard target. However, there are strong forces here that I am currently unaware of. I just pray that everything will make sense in due time. As my body vanishes from sight, I gather a feeling. I don't need the light to see where I'm headed. I can somehow trust that I'm being lead appropriately. My eyes adjust quickly to this place, just like my body gets back its feel for basic movement again. I like to think that I'm stronger than this... that I've accomplished something greater.

I stop walking as my feet come to a halt. There is no movement now. I ball my hands up into fists, making eye contact with the floor as if something were there. You can tell by my face how serious I've become. This place isn't to be taken lightly. I know this, and yet...

"How can I keep walking...?" I say through my teeth, "How can I-"

I cut myself off with my own thoughts. What was happening? Why did I stop? Did realization finally begin to hit me? I'd been so determined to get answers, but did I really have anyway of doing so? Did I finally realize that I had no clue where the hell I was, where the hell I was going, or why the hell I was going there...?! Even if I do find some sort of, clue, would it really help me in any way? If I do manage to figure out why I'm here, it won't change the fact that I am. It won't change the fact that I'm... alone. All of the answers could be in one place, and I could know them all... as soon as I do-

"I'm going to remain here forever, aren't I...?" I say sadly.

My fists loosen up. No answers could change this reality. That was only something that I had hoped for... something I occupied myself with, to help me forget the true meaning of this place. This really is an eternity... it's my  eternity.

"Atem..."

I snap out of thought as soon as my name is said. This voice that echoes the endless rooms... the same one that helped me. It says my name in such a comforting way. I sigh. My shoulders relax themselves, though my eyes remain intensely focused.

"W-what do you want...?" I finally say.

I hear no reply. I look up into the darkness. There are several doors on each side of the walls. Why am I giving up so easily? This isn't like me. I hang on until the last moment, always. It's just... what I know of this place. It keeps me from being anything but excited to find out more. I know enough not to be blind. To know that whatever I do here matters not. The voice says my name again in the whisper that's always associated with it. The sound is farther out now, as if its leaving me slowly. Am I such a hopeless case? I start walking again, and try to forget this. I continue towards my decided direction. I'll follow you then,  I mentally say.

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I'm lead to a flight of stairs, which was farther in from where I had come. I hadn't been paying attention to where that was however. Everything looked so similar, it was hard to distinguish a specific place from another. And even then, I'd turn around to see something different. I shrug it off as my mind being in need of rest. The voice I'm following dies down after a moment. This big maze reveals no extra noise, save for my own tired breathing. I don't want to go up there. I haven't a lot of energy in this place. Since I got here, I've been getting weaker. It's almost as if this is being forced upon me. It wants me to lie down. I'll close my eyes, and maybe never get up. I can't let that happen. The stairs however, I don't trust them to support me. As if anything in this place is all that real. It's just a twisted reality. I look to my left at one of the doors. I haven't been through one yet. What's on the other side? A question I don't have the answer to, and isn't it my goal to find out just that? The more I learn, the better off I'll be here. Leaving my place, I walk towards the door. When I do, I feel a slight jolt of pain that causes me to wince. I try to ignore it. I take hold of the knob in front of me.

"It feels real enough," I say.

I twist it, and the door opens with ease. At first I don't go through it. I feel guilt, and a bit of caution. This is probably wrong of me, I know that. But, can any of us constantly do what's right...? Never mind that now though, because I've made up my mind. I have to find out. I walk forward through the opened door as a blinding light devours me; everything's gone in that moment. My eyes are sealed tight now. A light groan escapes me as a rather weird feeling envelopes my body. It only lasts a few seconds, and everything quickly disperses. The light leaves me, and I can feel the darkness pressing against my eyelids once more. I cautiously open one eye, trying to keep myself from being startled. I'm slightly put at ease when I take in my surroundings. I was in the same place, but a different area.

"A hallway?"

I see never ending walls to my left, and on the right... another sigh. Nothing here ever changes. I look behind myself; another wall. The door I had come through was gone. That means I can't get back. What am I going to-

"AAAAAAAHH!"

I practically jump at the sound of an awful scream. It distances itself from me, its echo left dying. I turn my head in fright. It came from a single direction. I gasp. Is someone else here?! 

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Well, I hope you guys are enjoying. ^^ I tried to make this chapter a tad longer than the other ones. If you have the time, I'd really appreciate some feedback, or a simple vote. It would really do a lot for me