On The Brink

(text-color:#af111c)[TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic depictions of blood, bodily injuries.] The last thing you remembered was the sound of distant screaming. Enraged voices entangling somewhere in the corner of the base, familiar yet so unrestrained that even from a distance, they unsettled you. Something was wrong. But before you could make a single move from your position at your desk, there was a sudden (text-style: "emboss")[blinding light, everything went] (text-style: "emboss")[ WHITE - ] (text-style: "emboss")[(live: 2s)[(t8n:"dissolve")[(text-color: "white")[[//BOOM//|WHITE]]](stop:)]]

Gathering all of your strength, you let out a shaky breath as you move your hand forward and pull. You succesfully manage to free yourself of the rubble that was resting upon you, and push yourself onto unsteady feet. Feeling the beginning stages of hysteria, you attempt to control your breathing as your new position allows you take in the ruins surrounding you. Through your blurred vision you find countless bodies littering the burnt, jagged ground, and patches of dark red stain the ground in a nauseating pattern. Stumbling forward, you finally reach the figure and lean down, supporting your weight on your knees as your head swims. You make out the form of a dark haired man, seemingly in his early twenties, shakily holding himself up on his hands and knees. One look at his face causes you to involuntarily recoil, instantly feeling a twinge of regret, but unable to stop the spike of sickening fear the sight brought you. Half of his features seem to have been completely blown away by the explosion, (text-color: #af111c)[bloodied bits of the left side of his face shining bright red] in the dying sunlight. His cloudy brown eyes vaguely scan over your form, uncomprehending. Do you: [[Crouch down with the man]] [[//Help him stand//|"We gotta get out of here..."]] [[Leave him behind... he's dead weight]]

(text-style: "blur")[ Your vision blurs further, and you are beginning to feel the grasp of sleep. You feel a faint hint of fear at the thought of losing conciousness. Something moves in the corner of your vision. Small patches of ](text-color: #af111c)[red](text-style: "blur")[ cover a] (text-color: #4169E1)[blue](text-style: "blur")[ figure that makes its way into your line of sight.] Should you call out? [[Scream for help]] [[Remain silent]]

(text-style: "blur")[You allow your tired eyes to close, and before you know it, unconsciousness sweeps you away. The darkness is silent and blissful, and the last thing you think you hear is a](text-style: "blurrier")[ faint voice calling a familiar name...] [[YOU DIED]]

Try Again? [[The Explosion]] [[Finish Game]]

Thanks for playing! [[//Play Again?//|The Explosion]]

(text-style: "smear")[Mustering all of the strength that you have left, you focus on your voice and call out at the top of your lungs, but to your disappointment, only a hoarse whisper leaves your mouth. For a moment, you are sure that you can not muster any more strength to call out once more, but as the figure moves ever closer to you, you finally manage to let out another ragged yelp. It catches the attention of the blurry figure almost instantly, and it makes its way straight to you. As it leans down, you take in a familiar face that you strangely can't place. In your confusion, ](text-color: #af111c)[it looks as if it is nearly slashed in two, and concerning amounts of red leak down the figure's cheeks, nose and mouth.] (text-style: "smear")[Your mind really has shattered. Delusional, you meet the eyes of your could-be savior.] Do you: [[Attempt to stand]] [[Reach forward with your hand]]

(text-style: "blur")[ The figure makes its way further across the debri, looking over you with only the slightest tilt of its head before moving away. Your tired eyes flutter, and you accept the blissful embrace of unconciousness.] (text-style: "blurrier")[You do not wake again.] [[YOU DIED]]

(text-style: "smear")[With shaking arms, you attempt to place your hands beneath you and lift, but you collapse almost instantly back to the ground. Your head hits the rubble before you and you nearly lose conciousness, but the figure grabs you roughly by your shoulder and lifts you up. Groaning in pain, you latch on to the arm that wraps around you. "Take it easy," a gruff voice reaches your ears as you attempt to stand with the much needed help. After a moment, the hand around your shoulder moves to snake around your waist, and you are up and on your feet. You feel a hot drop of liquid trace your temple, and with a frown you lift a hand to wipe it away. Bringing it back to your face, you squint your eyes only to find a copious amount of dark red staining your fingers. ] (text-color: #af111c)[You faintly register that you are losing an unhealthy amount of blood.] (text-style: "smear")[You realize the person next to you is having a hard time supporting you.] Do you: [[Pull yourself up and attempt to use your hands to support the figure]] [[Tell it to move on without you]]

(text-style: "smear")[You reach forward towards the figure, your bloodied hand finding a steady surface before grasping on to it. You faintly register the feeling of a hand firmly taking yours before you are being pulled up. You gasp in pain as you are lifted up, and a sudden coughing fit takes hold of you. ](text-color: #af111c)[As you hack up terrifying amounts of red,] (text-style: "smear")[you attempt to find the face of the figure once more through your tear-filled vision. You feel a steady hand on your back as you finish heaving, and you suddenly find yourself being whisked up and into the figure's arms. You let your head rest on its shoulder as its arm hooks under your legs and begins to carry you across the deserted wasteland.] Should you: [[Give in to unconciousness]] [[Keep fighting unconciousness]]

(text-style: "smear")[Your bravado gets you to your feet and in a more comfortable position where you are proud to find yourself supporting your partner just as he supports you. Finally finding a smidge of confidence, you bear the painful reprecussions of your movements and push forward. Relieved at the sight of your boldness, the grip around you loosens momentarily as the face beside you turns to give you a curt nod. You quickly look over the features once more in a vain attempt at placing a name to the bloodied face, but once again you find your memory deserting you.] Gathering all of your wits and with the skills and expertise of a soldier, you set your jaw and whip your attention away from the carnage surrounding you the moment you realize just how horrific it is. Catching nothing but glimpses of blood, (text-color: #af111c)[//sickening//] amounts of it, you keep your head just high enough to see ahead of you, and keep going. There's an end to this. (text-color: #af111c)[Hell doesn't last forever.] [[???]]

(text-style: "smear")["L-leave me," you barely manage to stutter before the grip around you hardens and a harsh voice silences you. "Save your voice," it orders, and you find yourself obediantly shutting your mouth. Both of you stumble uncertainly forward, and after lifting a hand to your face and messily wiping the tears from your vision, you get your first clear view of the mess around you. The sight nearly leaves you catatonic, eyes wide with fear as you survey the rubble, the smoke,] (text-color: #af111c)[//the blood//-] (text-style: "smear")[You choke as your stomach involuntarily flips. Pressing a hand to your mouth and nose, you try to block out the stench of what you are sure is //death itself// but it slithers in, and you feel as if you are choking. The grip around you squeezes if only to attempt to distract you, but you are petrified. Your vision blurs again, but this time, a heavy darkness threatens to flood it as you feel your knees shake, and without meaning to, you collapse against the figure holding you up. You hear a grunt as the grip around you readjusts, as if it had been ready for you to fall, and before you know it, you are being carried forward, an arm looping under your legs and another holding you up by your shoulders. Your clouded eyes stare blankly for a moment up at the face that looks down at you for a moment, more closely surveying the [[damage]] done to your head. You still can't recognize it, even as the clearer sight of strikingly bright, blue eyes and tufts of ](text-color: #af111c)[bloodied] (text-style: "smear")[blonde hair fill your vision. Your attempts to place this figure within your muddied memories are cut short when the darkness that had been threatening to overtake you does just that, and within a few moments,](text-style: "blur")[ everything disappears.] [[???]]

(text-style: "blur")[As the bright sun painfully blares in the corner of your eye, you let your eyes close, and the lull of sleep becomes too much to resist. The last thing you feel are the arms holding you tightening, and a heavy hand on your forehead, and then your neck. Fingers press into the delicate skin, and at last, your body goes limp.] (text-style: "blurrier")[You do not wake again.] [[YOU DIED]]

(text-style: "smear")[You fight with all your might to remain concious. With every moment, you feel your eyelids grow heavier, but you are determined to stay awake. You are determined to stay alive. You are determined...] (text-style: "blur")[Don't... give...] (text-style: "blurrier")[in.] (text-style: "blur")[(live: 5s)[(t8n:"dissolve")[(text-color: "white")[[light?]]](stop:)]]

(text-style: "blur")[You jerk awake, bright light blinding you as your eyes fly open. You faintly register something binding your body to the surface below you before you are struggling violently, voice ragged as you scream in confusion and very shortly after, unbearable pain. A figure enters your line of sight as you feel something grab your legs and pin them, effectively ceasing your movements. Your struggle becomes more desperate when another hand holds your head to the side, albeit as gently as possible, and what looks like a syringe glows menacingly in the unbearably bright white light. Eyes widening, you try to yank your head in the other direction, but a sharp prick in your neck deflates your willingness to fight, and you realize, with nauseating fear, that you're going back under. With a choked sob, the world fades away yet again, and everything goes dark.] [[???]]

"It's unbelievable you survived, you know that? Seriously, against all odds... let's call it luck." [[You don't feel lucky.]]

(text-style: "smear")+(text-color: #af111c)[The explosion sent you flying into a wall. You must have hit your head pretty hard, if the pounding ache you felt and the sickening amounts of blood were anything to go by. ] [[//God, it hurts...//|Tell it to move on without you]]

"Hey..." you drawl, speaking with difficulty. "You..." Words swim aimlessly in your mind, and you are unable to put together a sentence for a moment. The sluggishness of your thoughts would have been frustrating if you had been in your right mind, but it was a miracle you were alive at all. Falling on your rear, you nearly collapse against the man before catching yourself. Your head was swimming, and you were slowly starting to feel nauseous. "Sh... uhff..." You manage to throw a hand up to your mouth as you heave, nothing coming up. After settling your stomach, you turn to glance at the man to find him still staring at you. He seems to be slowly comprehending the situation, and a sudden wave of unshed tears make his eyes sparkle in the faint light. [["We gotta get out of here..."]] [["What's your name?"]]

The man does not move as you stand and turn away from him, limping in the opposite direction. After a moment, you hear a faint thud behind you. You do not turn back. [[Keep walking...]]

Reaching down, you firmly grasp the man's clothing and drag him upwards. He feels weightless in your grasp, and when he collapses against you, you readjust your hold on his shoulder. You are surprised to find him gradually stumbling forward beside you, using your support but moving his own weight. Eventually, he seems to gain enough of his conciousness back to walk somewhat properly, remaining on balance. One glance at his face and his wide, unseeing eyes is enough for you to quickly look away, an uncomfortable feeling bubbling up in your chest. Just... One step at a time. (text-color: "blue")[//This is hell.//] Keep going. ~~Don't think about it.~~- (text-color: "blue")[//Why did this happen?//] (text-color: #af111c)[~~Stop--stop..stop thinking about it---~~] **Keep Going.** [[??? ]]

A tense silence fills the air, and you feel silly for even asking. The man appears to be in a catatonic state. Sighing, you move to try to help him up when a jagged voice reaches your ears. "From the inside out..." He... he //chuckles//. "Rome... fell from within..." You stared stupidly at the man, completely oblivious to the meaning behind the words. "What?" you inquired in a whisper. He did not respond. His gaze was empty, and his body still. [[//Help him up//|"We gotta get out of here..."]]

"Hey." You nearly jump out of your skin as a hand touches your shoulder. The intruding appendage flinches away at your knee-jerk reaction, and an apologetic smile adorns the face of your companion as he steps into your field of view. It's hard to see his facial features under the thick layers of gauze covering the gashes on his face. An apology lingers on the tip of your tongue, but you push it back. "Thank you," you mutter instead. His gaze softens as the words leave your mouth, and he moves to sit next to you. "Thank //you//", he mirrors, his eyes moving to stare at the hands in his lap. He seems to be lost in thought. There is a dense sadness present there, you realize. The man is struggling immensely. [[Take his hand]] [[Remain silent ]]

Carefully, you allow your hand to gently rest upon his. You see his body tense, clearly not expecting the gesture. You attempt to calm your racing heart. You are willing to work with him to get past this... this //nightmare// together. The next move is his to make. After a moment, you realize that he is looking at you. With dread twisting uncomfortably in your gut, you allow your gaze to meet his. He seems to be studying you, the faint trace of a smile upon his face. The smile is a relief. You feel a hand move to rest upon your own. Faint traces of a pleasant feeling settle in your gut, slowly washing away the dread and anguish. You may have survived physically. Surviving mentally is a whole different battle. But somehow, you just know, you two //can// get past this. You have to. One day at a time. With company, it will be all the easier. Grasping your hand more firmly, he moves to stand. [[Go with him]] [[Remain on the bed]]

You do not offer any comfort. After a moment, the man sighs and stands. Moving away from you, he exits the room with a hand roughly grabbing the back of his head. [[Follow him]] [[Let him walk away]]

It has been hours. It feels like days but you are not foolish enough to believe your delirious mind. All you can do is keep going. The figure next to you seems to have reached the same conclusion. The plains seem to stretch on infinitely. The horizon is still clearly visible even in the dead of night, the stars above you bright and clear. You weren't the best with cardinal directions, but the more experienced man beside you had assured you that you were both heading North. You were both aware that there was another base waiting there. Though whether it too was in ruins... neither of you could be sure. You are gradually becoming weaker. The same is true for him. [[Tread]]

//Everything hurts.// It doesn't take long for you to realize just how alone you are. No survivors. You are the only one left. The vast expanse of empty plains stretch infinitely into the horizon. There is nothing ahead. Step after step, your hope wanes, and at last, with one shaky step, you collapse. (text-style: "blur")[The dust around you is disturbed by your fall, but it settles quickly around your unmoving form. Breathing shallow and heart rate dangerously low, you lay on the brink of conciousness.] [[Hold on]] [[Give In]]

The door clicks closed in front of you. Mechanically, you lean back and fall into the bed. You stare at the empty white ceiling above you. Your mind is already cloudy from the lingering sedatives, and without much resistance, you allow your eyes to close. You quickly slip away from reality, your body sinking into the hard mattress beneath you. Your surroundings fade away... A vast darkness encases you. And then... A flash. A faint boom. Burning flesh... Smoke so thick- Your throat constricts as you choke on it-- You are surrounded by... by... Ņ̵̢̢̘͇̭̘͓̩͎̖̞͂̊̐̀͒̕͠O̸͈͇͗͂̀̏̾̃̎̑̄ [[//-̸̱͚̺̜̼͇́̐̂̏͝-̶̼̲͚̙̟̫̤͂̓͘N̸͚͇̄̉̊͠Ȍ̶̢̦̥̗̜̺͒T̸̪̘̻͕̫̜̼̊ ̶̡̡̥͔̿Ȧ̵̮̺̘̼͙̌̿̚͜G̴͓̱̣͙̹̞̈́̐̓͠Ä̵̦Ì̴̜̰̯͔̞ͅN̴̙͚̩̣̪̮̄̏̃̋͘ͅ-̸͈̌̈̇͑̌-̵͈̖̣͉̄-̶̺͖͔͓̻̍̏͆͝//|WHITE]]

(text-style: "smear")+(text-style: "blur")+(text-style: "shudder")[The force of the catastrophic explosion renders you unconcious for a blissful moment before suddenly, your battered body gasps in air and your eyes fly open. The cacophony of muffled screaming rings in your ears, and a disorienting wave of blurred shapes surrounded by a sheen of darkness nauseates you as you hold on to consiousness with the final threads of your will.] (text-style: "blur")[You don't register much, only that an eery silence has settled around you, and a growing chaos which washes uselessly over your disoriented mind. Something is wrong.] (text-color: #af111c)[Something is //horribly// wrong.] What do you do? [[Crawl towards a crouching figure in the distance...]] [[Lay still and wait for help...]] [[//Let your eyes close//|Give In]]

You force your eyes open, unwilling to give up so easily. You're not going to die. Not like //this//. You can make it. Just... keep //pushing damnit//. With an audible growl, you drag yourself forward, forcing your hands underneath you and pushing up with all of your might. Back on unsteady feet, you continue to tread, further and further... (text-style: "blur")[And further...] (text-style: "blurrier")[and... ...] (text-style: "blur")[You see a light in the darkness of the meadow you stumbled upon hours ago. It is quite obviously out of place, gleaming like a beacon in the dead of night. You... think you see figures moving around. You can't really tell anymore. Everything is blurry... dulled by the constant pain and the ache that has settled into your bones. A loud voice reaches your ears, but you can't comprehend any of the words being spoken. You suddenly realize that the figures are moving towards you. At last... You can relax. Letting out a deep breath, you let your numb knees buckle, and without bothering to even catch yourself, you fall...] [[Darkness]]

(text-style: "blur")[Someone is speaking. The voice is light and silky. Your eyes slip open momentarily to behold an angel standing above you. Quite literally, before you is a young woman with brilliant golden locks and an angelic face studying you with bright eyes hidden underneath light lashes. Her mouth moves, but you can understand nothing. You are momentarily blinded as a bright light shines directly into your eyes, and then...] (text-style: "blurrier")[Darkness.] [[??? ]]

(text-color: #808080)[You are in a dark room. There is a door in the corner, but any of your attempts at movement are sluggish and weak. You won't reach it. You lay. Alone. So horribly alone. Your mind is clear but... You see him. You can't get him out of your head. Not the dark locks, not the bloodied face- Why won't he leave you alone? //Should you have helped him?// You involuntarily curl up. //Could you have saved him?// Hide beneath pillows and a blanket that reek of blood and medicine. //Why didn't you?// You don't know. Why?] [[W̶̱̭̠̻͉͕͉̼̘͛̋̂̍̀͋͝͝ ̸̛̬̣͓̎́͋́̉͂̈́̈́͗̓͂̅͘h̸͔͂̈́̂̋̄̕͝ ̸̳͊̐̓̈́͋̑̏̈̌̿̀͘ẏ̶̖̾́͘ͅ ̷̛͖͓͇͇̫̞̠̑̂͋?̴̤̦̄̈́̐͂̏]]

(text-color: #af111c)[You blink your bleary eyes open. Your vision swims and you feel nauseous... something heavy is pressing you down into the ground. You can't move. //You can't move.// Thick smoke smothers you, and you start to cough violently. Using your arms, you attempt to drag yourself out into the open, but the heavy weight upon you keeps you pinned. You are beginning to panic. Suddenly, a figure enters your line of sight. A shadow making its way towards you. You can not see its face, nor its clothes, and yet a spark of hope inside your chest brings life to your movements once more. Struggling with more determination, you muster the strength to weakly call out. The figure stops and turns towards you, clearly observing your body. They can see you are moving. //Breathing//. They can definitely tell you are very much alive. And yet... Your eyes widen in fear as they move a fraction of an inch away from you. //No.// They retract their foot, smoothly stepping in the other direction. //Don't leave me.// The weight above you bares down harder, and you let out a choked gasp, reaching out desperately with your hand. //Please don't leave me!// With one final glance, they turn. Your reaching hand goes limp, splaying across the bloodied dirt. With empty eyes, you study the red patterns adorning the ground. Once more, you see those dirty, brown locks. That bloodied face. Those brown eyes filled with pain. A crushing wave of hopelessness engulfs you. You are going to die alone. Just like...] [[//Just like him.//|Finish Game]]

He's leaving. If he leaves, you'll be alone again. It's clear he needs company and in all honesty? So do you. You rise on unsteady legs, moving to follow him when you trip clumsily yet again and fall. You are unsurprised when two arms catch you and help you back up. You meet the bright blue eyes studying you and give him a smile. He faintly returns it, and you both make your way to the door before opening it. The emptiness of the hallway is disturbing, the quite deafening to your ears. You follow him as he steps forward and begins to make his way to the end of the corridor. Only then do you hear faint sounds coming from below you. The sound of music, talking and... laughter. Signs of life. Signs of happiness. You can't help but glance at the man next to you once more. He seems to expect it, offering you a brighter version of the little grin he spared you inside the room. Your aching heart swells. The laughter beneath you gets louder, stronger. The music is upbeat. It is pleasantly warm. You aren't alone. Not by a long shot. That's all that matters. [[//You survived as a victim.//|Finish Game]]

You rise on unsteady legs, moving to follow him when you trip clumsily yet again and fall. You are unsurprised when two arms catch you and help you back up. You meet the bright blue eyes studying you and give him another smile. He faintly returns it, and you both make your way to the door before opening it. The emptiness of the hallway is disturbing, the quite deafening to your ears. You follow him as he steps forward and begins to make his way to the end of the corridor. Only then do you hear faint sounds coming from below you. The sound of music, talking and... laughter. Signs of life. Signs of happiness. You can't help but glance at the man next to you once more. He seems to expect it, offering you a brighter version of the little grin he spared you inside the room. Your aching heart swells. The laughter beneath you gets louder, stronger. The music is upbeat. It is pleasantly warm. You aren't alone. Not by a long shot. That's all that matters. [[//You survived as a victim.//|Finish Game]]

You refuse to budge. He turns to look at you, eyebrows furrowed and eyes betraying the slight hurt your inaction brought about. You look away. After a tense moment, he releases your hand and moves away. [[Follow him]] [[Let him walk away]]

(text-style: "blur")[You had carried each other far. You had kept each other company. You had kept peach other alive. But eventually, you had both collapsed. Laying in the darkness in the soft grass, you attempt to regulate your shallow breathing, all while consistently checking on your partner. You tense. He isn't moving. Turning onto your side, you crawl over to him. "Hey?" you choke out, lightly shaking him. His dark eyes snap open, sharp, but not quite accusatory. His mouth moves into a bloodied smile, his white teeth bright against the dark red. You don't understand the smile. You're too tired. You collapse onto your back, the grass beneath you tickling your back and your different limbs. The beautiful night sky above you begins to blur, the brightness of the stars flickering. You can no longer tell if the man is breathing.] [[Move to hold him]] [[Remain still]]

You are determined to keep his company until the bitter end. You move towards him and hover above him, placing his head into your lap. You check his pulse. Faint thuds push up onto your fingertips. He is still alive. Good. ... You hear something. A loud whirring in the distance. Faint traces of dawn stretch across the sky, brilliant colors a stark contrast to the black and dark blue that had dominated the expanse beforehand. There is a dark shape in the sky approaching you. A single beacon shines down, scouring the ground below. What...? Your eyes widen. Moving to stand, you gently place the man's head on the ground before getting to your feet. You sway, unsteady and dizzy, but remain tall. You wave your hands violently, beckoning the figure in your direction. You attempt to shout at the top of your lungs, but only a hoarse whisper leaves your throat. Help.... //HELP!// The dark figure continues to approach. You jump as something grabs your foot. Looking down, you find two dark eyes staring insistently at you. With one hand around your ankle, you notice his other pull out... Pull out a tracker. A //tracking device//. (text-style: "smear")[A disbelieving smile spreads across your face. You glance back up just as the beacon turns in your direction. Bright light floods your vision and the ground surrounding you, seperating you and your partner from the endless plains. The sound of the helicopter booms in your ears.](text-style: "emboss")[ The light blinds you.] [[??? ]]

(text-color: #af111c)[You relax into the soft ground beneath you, letting the ache in your bones dull as your eyes slip shut. Nothing but the sound of the soft wind greets you, and crickets far, far away. The sound is getting softer, more muffled. You barely force your eyes open for just a second longer. You think you see traces of light crossing the darkness, bright and beautiful. The wind is slowly picking up, but you can't feel it anymore. With the last of your strength, you grip the unmoving figure laying beside you. You think you feel him squeeze back. You faintly wish you could have gotten to know him better. He's good company. It's so unbelievably nice to not be alone. With a smile upon your lips, you close your eyes for the last time.] (text-style: "fade-in-out")+(text-style: "blur")[You take in a deep breath of the fresh air...] (text-style: "blurrier")[It was a good run.] [[//You died a savior.//|Finish Game]]

A face blown to hell, (text-color: #af111c)[half torn open and bloodied beams] at you. Finally, //finally// you think. [His eyes are no longer cloudy, his gaze no longer empty. You see a ladder drop in the corner of your eye, swaying in the harsh wind produced by the helicopter blades. You do not take your eyes off the man beneath you. //He saved you.// And you saved him. You reach a hand down. He stares at it only for a short moment. A dirty, ](text-color: #af111c)[bloody] [hand tightly grips your own. Without a second thought, you pull.] [[//You survived as a savior.//|Finish Game]]