Story Reader / Interlude / False Hope / Story
...Are you going out tonight, Lucia?
Yeah, we're all out of food, and it's too dangerous to go out during the day... There are the Corrupted, and the bad people...
But... I'm too scared to sleep here all alone...
Don't worry. You'll be fine as long as you stay out of the dark.
Are there really monsters hiding in the dark?!
You bet. There are super-duper scary monsters that'll gobble up little kids in one bite.
L-Lucia!
What is it?
Can you hold my hand until I sleep? Just for tonight!
...Didn't you say that last night?
Lucia... Please?
No...
R-really?
...
Sissss...
Sigh... Fine... But you gotta promise me you'll fall asleep quick.
I will!
Holding Lucia's hand, Luna closes her eyes... With her warm grip, the lonely, dark nights become way less scary.
But no matter how long she waits, Luna never finds Lucia's hand.
Lucia?
Luna feels around for her sister's hand. Finally grasping it, she discovers that it is now stiff and cold as ice.
—Lucia!
Waking up from the hazy dream, Luna lifts up the hand she has been holding in the dim light, only to discover that it is in fact a hand—with nothing attached.
A Corrupted hand! She has seen them wandering by the road. Lucia told her never to go near those monsters.
Ahhhhhhh!
Luna throws the hand away and jumps back, accidentally tripping over something else on the ground.
She can feel the agonizing pain from the wounds all over her body, but the real pain comes from a strange feeling in her mind.
A peculiar noise clamors by her ears as if trying to tell her something. But upon listening more closely, she realizes it is just her own voice.
Where... where am I?!
Luna remembers that she secretly replaced her sister and went with the group of imposing men to become a "Construct".
She does not know exactly what a so-called "Construct" is, only that if she becomes one, she and her sister can go to Babylonia. There they can eat their fill and take hot showers every day.
All I remember was taking a pill the doctor gave me, then I fell asleep... After... after that...
Luna tries to recall what happened after she fell asleep, but her memory is all in disarray.
It's... so dark here... I-is anybody there?
She tries to yell out, but is only answered by her echo.
Lucia... Sis... I'm scared... Where are you...?
There is no warmth from a bonfire. No warmth from her sister. Only the cold, uncaring darkness.
Her eyes brim with tears at the thought of her sister. She can barely stop herself from crying out loud.
But right at that moment, a dull low roar comes from deep within the darkness. Luna clasps her mouth shut, too afraid to cry any longer.
Is that what my sister warned me about—the monster?!
The low roar and abrasive sound of dragging feet draw near... Closer and closer... Step by step...
It's... it's coming this way!
Lucia said that monsters only hide in the dark because they're afraid of the light. If only there was any...
Luna looks around to see a small hill emitting a blinding red light.
If I can just make it over there, the monster won't come any closer!
She makes up her mind, and runs with all her might toward the glowing red light.
But as she approaches the red light, she finally discovers its source—
C-Corrupted...
The upper half of a Corrupted lies on top of a waste pile. Although severely damaged, it still retains its functionality—noticing Luna, it turns its battered head toward her.
Agh... Argh!
The Corrupted reaches out toward Luna. All she can do is stand there helplessly.
Lucia... Where are you...?
Her eyes brim with tears once more. She has seen countless people ravaged by Corrupted. Those are the monsters that lurk in the dark, waiting to devour humanity.
But to her surprise, the Corrupted does not attack her. It gradually relaxes its grip and becomes dormant once more.
Hm...
In the dim red glow of the Corrupted, Luna finally sees what has been causing her such pain—bullet holes on her body.
Is this... me...?
Those imposing men said that she would grow a bit after her body was turned into a Construct to improve her combat ability.
But what fills her with despair now is the glowing red light coming from her wounds—the same red light as the Corrupted.
Corruption... critical... and rising!
—Take her out... before the virus spreads.
—Get to work. Kill the Corrupted and all the potential Corrupted.
—Throw them in the trash disposal facility where they belong.
Luna stares into the eyes of the Corrupted, her vision gradually dissolves. The red light is rendered like ink until everything turned red.
I'm a Corrupted? I'm a... monster?
The voice echoing in Luna's ear gradually becomes noisy but clear as it approaches, getting so close like it is whispering.
Desire... Impulse... A higher purpose...
Destroy... humanity... for the sake of... humanity...
In the glowing red light, Luna hears someone talking. But to her surprise, the voice comes from her own mouth.
Humanity must be filtered... There is no escape... There is no survival...
Ascend to a higher purpose... You are the agent... You are its will!
No... I am Luna!
Luna... You can no longer return to your sister's side. You will never see her again...
No! Lucia would never leave me. She promised.
Lucia, if I ever get lost... If I ever lose my way, what should I do?
That time may come. We should be prepared...
I know, let's make a deal. If you ever get lost, just stay where you are and don't do anything.
Don't do anything...? Is that it?
Yes... Because I'll be able to find you, wherever you are... Even if you become something else, I'll always be able to find you. I promise.
I'll wait for you, Lucia... I'll always wait for you!
The noise echoing in her ears gradually weakens, and the corruption's grip on Luna begins to loosen miraculously. Once the blood-red light dissipates, Luna falls into a deep slumber.
Silence fills the abandoned facility once more, punctuated only by occasional murmurs from Luna lost in her dreams.
Lucia...
Lucia... Sis...
