Go

The sound of my own breathing was the only thing that anchored me to reality. But even that began to feel distant, as if it belonged to someone else. Each step I took was heavier than the last, each thought a battle against the creeping chaos in my mind.

I was losing myself.

Light’s voice slithered into my thoughts again, quiet at first, like a whisper I wasn’t sure I heard. But then it grew louder, more insistent. “Why do you resist, little one? You’re tired. Just give in. I can make the pain stop.”

His words wrapped around my mind like a cold, suffocating blanket. I pressed my hands to my ears, trying to block it out, but the voice was inside me, now. I wasn’t sure what was real anymore. The shadows seemed to twist around me, the walls breathing in time with my panic.

“I don’t need you,” I muttered, the words slipping out in desperation. “I won’t listen to you.”

But I was lying.

Every inch of me was fraying. Every corner of this cursed submarine felt like it was closing in on me. The game was supposed to be simple—hide and survive. But now, I wasn’t sure if I was hiding from Light, or from myself.

I pressed my back against the cold metal wall of a hidden compartment, closing my eyes for a brief moment. I needed to focus. I needed to keep moving. If I didn’t, I would be swallowed whole.

“Give in, Lila,” Light’s voice whispered again, smoother now. “You know you want to. Everything is so much easier when you stop fighting.”

“Stop it!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty halls. I winced at the sound of my own desperation.

But then, as if by some miracle, I heard footsteps approaching. They weren’t Light’s. They were human.

Mira.

I snapped my head toward the entrance of the compartment, my heart racing. I had no time to think about the consequences, no time to question why she was here. I needed help—no matter the cost.

Mira stepped into view, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. She froze as soon as she saw me, her gaze flicking nervously to the shadows.

“Lila,” she whispered, voice shaking. “You’re… you’re still alive?”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. “Barely. But I need your help. Please.”

She hesitated, fear written all over her face. I could see the weight of it pressing down on her, making her hesitate.

“What… what happened? Everyone’s going crazy. The others—they’ve lost their minds.” Her voice cracked, and I could see her trying to keep it together. “And Light… he’s everywhere, Lila. He’s in my head, too.”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “He’s in all of us now,” I said, my voice hollow. “But we need to survive. I need to keep moving. And I need you to help me. Please.”

Mira nodded, though I could see the tremor in her hands as she reached out to steady herself. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need a place to hide,” I said, desperation creeping into my voice. “Somewhere Light can’t find me, not yet.”

Mira looked around, her eyes darting to the shadows. She thought for a moment before motioning for me to follow. She led me to another compartment, hidden behind a loose panel. It wasn’t much, but it was safe—for now.

“Get in,” she said softly. “I’ll keep watch.”

I nodded and crawled into the cramped space. The small compartment felt suffocating, but it was better than being out there in the open, where Light could find me.

But the moment I settled in, I felt it.

Light.

His presence, like an overwhelming storm, crashed over me. His voice echoed in my mind, as if he were standing right next to me. “Such a clever little mouse,” he mused. “Hiding in the shadows, but you can’t escape me, Lila. Not anymore.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shut out the voice. But it was too late. His laughter, soft and mocking, filled my ears.

I wanted to scream, to fight, but I knew better. If I gave in to the fear, he would win.

And then, as if in response to my thoughts, I heard Mira’s voice again—this time in a whisper.

“Lila, I’m sorry… but I can’t take it anymore.”

I turned my head, alarmed, but before I could react, the compartment door burst open. Mira’s face was pale, her eyes wide with terror. She stumbled backward as a shadow passed over her, darker than the rest.

Light.

“No!” I screamed, trying to reach for her, but the shadows were already wrapping around her, dragging her toward the abyss.

Mira’s scream was the last thing I heard before she was pulled into the darkness.

“No!” I shouted again, my voice breaking. “Mira!”

I tried to move, to reach for her, but the room spun around me. The walls closed in, the air thick with the scent of decay. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

“She’s gone,” Light’s voice whispered, cruel and calm. “She wasn’t strong enough. None of them were. Don’t worry, she’s safe, much safer than your actually, she’s just somewhere far away.”

I fell to my knees, my chest tight with guilt and rage. Mira had been the only one to help me, the only one who hadn’t lost her mind. And now… now she was gone, taken by the thing that haunted us all.

And I couldn’t stop it.

The voice in my head, the presence around me—it was too much. I couldn’t keep running.

“Such a fragile thing, aren’t you?” Light mused, his tone softer now. “But you’ll survive, won’t you, Lila? Because you have one thing none of them had.”

I felt a chill run down my spine as I looked up at him, his dark form looming in the doorway. He was in my head, in my heart, in every breath I took.

“You have a choice,” he whispered. “You always have.”

I knew it, even as my heart screamed for vengeance. I had no other choice but to keep moving. Keep surviving.

Because Light wouldn’t let me go. Not ever.