Reborn in The Legendary Mechanic

I woke up to the deafening blasts of armor. My head was buzzing, and my body felt like it was in pieces. Everything seemed to be in place, but the pain was everywhere-blunt, sharp, searing, as if someone had squeezed all my muscles at once and pounded my nerves. If it weren't for the shock-absorbing systems of my armor, the maneuvering jetpack designed for space maneuvers, and the force shield, I'd be lying here right now as a bloody stain. But no. It turned out to be "only" cracked ribs and possibly legs.

- "You're alive," - I reminded myself coldly, trying to stand up.

I sighed, but even that was difficult. The armor systems immediately started pumping me full of drugs. Adrenaline to keep me going. Painkillers to keep me from falling. And Deathstep, some kind of combat stimulant built into the armor that was described as making a rabbit into a wolf, but then turning you into a half-decomposed carcass if you didn't stop in time.

The pain went away quickly, but with it came something else. Heat, dense as red-hot metal. Every cell in my body screamed that I could topple a mountain, punch through my own fist armor, tear an enemy apart. And I knew I could.

But not now.

Muffled sounds snapped me out of that state. First somewhere far away, then closer, and then very near. I blinked, and the helmet immediately heightened the sensitivity of my audio receptors. The sound of footsteps. The scrape of chitin against stone. Closer and closer.

I turned sharply, shot toward where the sounds were coming from. A creature jumped out of the darkness. Four meters long, six legs, a chitinous carapace that glistened in the dim light. Rows of sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, and its entire face was covered by some kind of translucent film. Reminiscent of an Alien, yes, only even uglier.

The plasma shot pierced her skull like thin paper, leaving a charred hole in the wall behind her.

- "They're not that scary,"- I thought, but not for long.

From the back, something tore toward me. A sharp paw slammed me into the wall, ripping my rifle out of my hands and ripping the power cable from my armor. I ducked at the last moment, or my stomach would have been ripped open. The creature lunged at me, pinning me to the ground. Its jaws closed on my helmet, trying to crush it. The pressure was monstrous, and though the armor held, the signals began to show damage.

My body was moving faster than I could think. Clenching my fingers into the shape of a makeshift blade, I thrust my hand straight into the creature's neck, aiming for the artery.

Blood gushed out, and the creature whimpered, recoiled, took a couple steps, and collapsed. There was something in its eyes that looked like a mixture of pain and surprise.

I watched as the blood flowed in rivers of dark green across the floor. Thick, sticky, pungent-smelling, it drenched my boots, dripped down my armor, stained my hands, though I tried to shake it off.

The creature was dying. Its limbs twitched, its tail thumped the ground, its claws scraped against the stone, but its strength was leaving it with every passing moment. A muffled whimper cut through the ringing silence of the cave, like a quiet choir singing the tragic finale of a symphony.its gaze met mine. There was no realization there, only mad instinct. But something inside me pricked.

My hand was still covered in the creature's blood and meat. I walked over and slowly wiped my hand on the shell.

That was it. It was dead.

I should have been relieved. I had survived, hadn't I? I'd done the right thing, everything that was required of me. But there was no relief. There was something else I couldn't name, like a huge weight pressing down on my chest.

- This is it, - I whispered, looking at the dead body.

My first blood. My first kill.

I wanted it to be simple. I wanted it to be just a phase, one of many, but it wasn't.

My armor, powerful and menacing, was soiled. My hands, those hands that once held books, lifted weights in training, touched keys in an effort to learn something new... they were now killing.

- "You know why you're here," - I said to myself. But the voice sounded fake.

This death didn't make me feel sorry for creature. No. This presence was different, almost the opposite.

Warmth. I felt a strange, frightening warmth spilling over my body, starting in my chest. It enveloped me, caressing me like soft silk. For a moment I even realized I was smiling.

And then that warmth was replaced by another emotion. Anger. Not anger at the creature, no. It had only done what it had to do. This anger was directed at reality itself. At the ugliness that surrounds me. This world where you either kill or be killed.

But strangely enough, I didn't feel disgust. Instead, I felt a beast inside. An ancient, primal beast. The one that stalked mammoths with a spear, that burned down enemy villages, that chased game with a mad screech. I could feel him tearing outward, a loud, furious roar exploding in my chest.

- So this is how it's going to be, - I said aloud, looking at the body lying there.

I knew what was happening to me. I wasn't going crazy. It was a release. In that moment, standing over my first slain enemy, I was closer to myself than I had ever been.

But instead of being scared, I smiled.

There was a rhythmic rumbling from deep within the cave. The creatures were coming. More, more enemies. And their blood would be on my hands.

I did not wait. I put the damaged rifle on my back, drew my melta pistol, unsecured the axe that had fallen from my back during my fall. A heartbeat. The second.

I heard them roar. Coal-black silhouettes flickered in the darkness, curved lines of bodies moving toward me. There were many of them. More than could be counted in the silence, filled only with the muffled echo of footsteps. But I didn't care.

I turned on the speakers and let out my scream. Primal, wordless, full of rage. That roar burst from my chest as if I'd been making it for millennia. A primitive, savage feeling filled every cell in my body.

With a distinctive rumble, the maneuvering engine on my back activated. A jolt, and I was on the attack.

The chitin crackled under my axe like a fragile shell, but each blow made my hands ache.

The creatures' claws clawed at my armor, bright sparks flashing on the reflected shield as they tried to break through. Melta-guns emitted blinding bursts of plasma, turning enemies into charred chunks. Axe blows sliced through chitin, flesh, bone - everything.

Physical strength and technology merged into one, making me invincible.

The screams of monsters, the roar of a moving armored monster, and the howl of melta shots merged into the chaos that consumed the caverns.

I stood surrounded by a horde of creatures and felt my blood boil. My chest constricted with adrenaline and drugs, every thought sharpened and every sound echoed in my head.

A rush forward.

The first creature was right under the axe. The thick chitinous shell cracked loudly as the blade's force field entered its chest. The creature twitched and roared, but I had already stepped forward, pulling the axe out with a sickening squelching sound.

The next one tried to attack from the side, tearing at my helmet with its claws. Moving with my peripheral vision, reflex, I raised my melta-gun. Flash. A stream of plasma burned through everything in its path, leaving the creature's head a charred skull. Its body, as if before it realized what had happened, slumped backward, twitching in death spasms.

The maneuvering engines roared.

A slight sensation of flight swept over her entire body. A sharp turn in the air, and I swung my axe at another enemy. The blade sliced through the creature's back, severing its spine and ripping out its insides. The chitinous plate snapped like a dry branch. A momentary jerk back, and I wrenched the axe from the torn body.

Footsteps. From the left.

A huge claw sliced through the air a millimeter from my face. I managed to deflect and hit the creature in the head with the melta-gun. There was a crunch as the skull gave way to the force of the armor. But the creature was still alive and trying to pin me to the wall. Its rigid body hovered over me, its breath a sickeningly hot wave against my helmet.

- Try it, - I muttered.

A short squeeze on the trigger of the melta-gun, and a stream of plasma went through the monster's chest. The creature shrieked, but didn't fall until I added another shot that burned through it. Flesh crumbled in chunks as the creature rolled onto its side.

Its entire body in motion.

The cave seemed alive, its walls vibrating with the sounds of battle. My axe, drenched in blood, seemed to have a life of its own. Every movement was honed: a blow, a step, a turn, another blow. The melta-gun tore chunks out of my enemies' bodies, and the axe completed what had begun as a plasma blast.

The creature leapt from above, its claws pointing at my shoulders. I swung the axe. The blow sliced through the air with a distinctive whoosh and severed the monster's paw. Before it landed, I squeezed the trigger of my gun, and its remains crumbled to the rocks in a blaze of mincemeat.

The thick odor of burning flesh filled the air. I could smell it even through the filters of my helmet. My vision blurred a little, but my muscles kept moving like clockwork.

A push from behind.

A claw caught my side, my shield sparked, and I turned around and threw a grenade with my free hand right into the creature's open mouth. It took a single gulp before its head exploded, splattering the walls with a mixture of blood and chitinous debris.

The pace of the battle continued unabated.

Dozens of them surrounded me. The monsters tried to regroup, attacking two or three at a time, but I was faster. The axe pierced every defense, every shell. The melta shots left only charred remnants that settled to the ground with smoking breasts.

One of the creatures attacked me in the face. I grabbed it by the neck, squeezed my fingers, reinforced by the servos of the armor, and felt the bones crack under the pressure. The creature tried to twist away, but I swung around and hurled it into the crowd, sweeping several individuals apart.

Crunches.

From the left, from the side, from the darkness. A thud, and I was blown against the wall.

The monster pinned me against the stone with incredible force, claws sliding across my shield, creating sparks.

I activated my maneuvering thrusters, and a powerful thrust ripped me from its grip.

Landing behind the creature's back, I brought my axe down on its spine. The chitinous defense didn't save it: the creature howled, and its hind legs snapped up.

I didn't have time to breathe. The next wave was coming.

With each passing moment, I lost my sense of time. My brain was on autopilot. Body and machine movements became one. When I finally stopped, the battlefield was dead silent. Mangled remains lay beneath my feet. The cave was strewn with smoking body parts.

I looked up. In front of me was the next room, larger, deeper. From there came a muffled growl.

And I went on.

At some point I stopped counting the dead. Jaws, claws, paws-all mixed in a swirl of terror. Adrenaline and combat enhancers raged through my veins. It wasn't a battle, it was a bloody frenzy.

I didn't know how much time had passed since the battle began. Minutes, hours-it all merged into one endless series of blows, gunfire, and explosions. The dust from the collapsed vaults slowly settled around me, and my muscles whimpered with overload, as if each of them were screaming in unison: "Enough!"

But I couldn't stop.

Ahead of me, beyond the next blockage, a vast space opened up, flooded with a soft green glow.

The crystals fused into the walls shimmered so brightly that for a moment I even squinted, letting my eyes adjust. This place was... unusual. Unreal. The frozen beauty contrasted with the smell of rotting flesh, which only grew stronger.

It was getting harder to breathe: not from the air, it was normal, but from fatigue. Every breath was painful in my ribs. The armor shield, though still working, had flashed red several times, warning that it wouldn't last much longer.

The sounds of the cave grew louder-crunching, clawing, the soft echo of my own breathing, amplified by my helmet. 

Suddenly, amidst this chaos, I heard a new, vibrating growl. A low sound filled the space, penetrating to the bone, making me stop. It wasn't just another beast. Something about that sound said: caution. The AI, as if sharing my tension, spoke softly: 

- Analysis: two creatures. High probability they are females. Presumption: Protecting territory and offspring.

Females? That's new.

I froze, gripping the axe tighter. Shadows flickered in the darkness at the far end of the hall, and then they appeared-two huge creatures.

Even after all the monsters I'd faced, these seemed formidable. Tall, with powerful chitinous plates that shimmered in the light of the green crystals. Their claws scratched the stone, leaving deep furrows, and their tails were tipped with stingers that emitted an ominous light. 

Their eyes. That was the worst of it. Two pairs of yellow eyes, glowing like glowing charcoal, stared straight at me. A look of hatred, anger and something else... deep, beastly, painfully familiar.

- Females, then, - I whispered, adjusting my grip on the axe. My voice trembled, which I noticed with annoyance. - Where's your alpha?

I was answered by a muttered, synchronized growl. Their anger was palpable, like static in the air. There was no expectation of anything but attack. 

And they moved.

The first one took off so fast I barely had time to react. The maneuvering engines roared, throwing me sideways. I spun in midair, feeling the beast's claws flicker just centimeters from my helmet. Landing behind it, I lunged, aiming my axe at its side. The blade entered the chitin with a terrible crack, and I felt the ribs underneath break. The female shrieked, a sound like a saw screeching across glass, and fell sideways.

But I didn't have time to finish the attack.

The second female was already rushing toward me from the side, her growl like the rumble of an approaching train, sending shivers down my spine. I heard her approach before I saw her. The rumbling sound of her heavy paws on the rock merged with the growing howl.

I raised my melta pistol and fired. I aimed under its jaw, at the vulnerable spot between the chitinous plates. The plasma beam hit the target, and the air was filled with the smell of burning meat and the sound of boiling flesh. She recoiled, but to my surprise, she survived. Her face was mangled, but she kept moving, even angrier than before. 

- Oh shit, - I breathed out.

I took aim at her paw and fired again. The plasma hit, knocking the creature off balance. It fell on its side, letting out a wrenching growl. But that didn't bring me even a second's respite. The first female, recovering from the blow, lunged at me, her claws drawing the air, knocking me to the ground. 

My shield flared up, damping some of the impact, but I could feel the armor barely coping. A jolting sensation hit my head right through my helmet-not pain, but a sharp reminder of how close I was to the limit. I rose up, wrenching the axe from the creature's body, taking a step back to assess the situation. 

- Threats are multiplying, - the AI reported with mechanical calm. - Heat trace from the side tunnel. No scans available. Possible approaching leader.

- Sure, - I exhaled, my strength draining away and my breathing becoming ragged. - Why not?

Both creatures moved forward in sync. They were changing. These beasts were no longer blindly aggressive - they were beginning to work together. The silence around me was crushing. Even my breathing seemed to have receded, making room for the anticipation of another attack. 

Suddenly, one of them opened its mouth. Inside glistened something wet, shiny. I froze.

And then one of them made an unexpected maneuver: turning its muzzle to me, opened its mouth, and a long, muscular tongue burst out of it with a sharp smack. It flashed like a whiplash, and before I could dodge, it was around my right arm. Her grip was like living steel, and I was dragged forward.

- Damn it! - I shouted, tensing my muscles but feeling the creature pull me into its jaws, which opened in a ghastly grin.

Strength isn't much use if you don't have a foothold. I feel the tongue clenching my hand tighter and tighter, every inch pulling me into the monster's mouth. For a moment I think I can hear my own pulse in my ears. My heart pounds like a drum, and my muscles convulse, trying to break free. There's no chance of escape, but I'm not going to stay passive.

- No way! - I shouted, feeling the anger override the fear.

Instead of fighting the pull, I lunge forward, using the momentum to drive myself toward the enemy. The maneuvering thrusters engage, and I find myself in the air, bringing my free hand to bear with my axe. For a split second, it looks like I might be able to cut its tongue before I reach its mouth. But my hope is shattered along with the current of air as the second female knocks me down with a huge clawed paw.

The world around me turns into a mixture of screams, gnashing, and flashes of pain. I'm thrown against the rocky floor and then face-first into the hard surface. My helmet's air intakes automatically close to keep me from breathing in the dust, but that reflex seems insignificant when I feel something huge pull my hand into its jaws. The jaws snap shut like a snare, with a force I can feel even through my armor.

Warnings flash on the visor screen, red symbols screaming danger. The armor holds, but barely. Pain stiffens my shoulder, resonating in my spine. The creature whips its head from side to side, trying to tear or twist my arm. The shoulder pad creaks, and I feel like I'm about to throw it up.

- Not today! - I hiss, clenching my teeth.

I wait a moment for the creature's head to fall to the side, and pull my hand toward me sharply. The jaws unclench slightly, and that's enough. The armor grinds under the pressure of the teeth, but I release the limb. The jaw slams shut with a snap - but not on me, but on the creature's own tongue. Its shriek, sharp and full of pain, rips the air. Dark blood splatters on my arms and helmet as I rise, feeling my muscles burn from the strain. 

Crippling itself, the creature squeals in pain, takes its paw from the mercenary's back, and presses it to its gape, dark blood trickling from between its teeth.

- Well, you're not so smart, - I wheezed, flicking away the stump of tongue that had been choking my hand a moment ago. Without the muscle contractions that held it in place, it's just a hollow cylinder of meat that falls with a wet slap onto the crystals below.

But there is no time to admire my victory. The second female lunges at me, her huge maw opening like a trap. This time I am ready. Bringing the axe to bear with both hands, I wait for her to jump. At the last moment, I raise my weapon, grab the edges of its jaws, and jerk its torso around with the full power of my servos.

The creature doesn't expect such a maneuver. The inertia of its jump helps me throw it away. It spins through the air and crashes into the second female, who was just trying to get up after losing her tongue. The two huge carcasses collide with a loud crack, chitin clawing at the stone, paws intertwined in a squirming heap.

I rise, leaning on my axe, breathing heavily. Sweat trickles down my forehead, but I can barely feel it behind my helmet. My legs are shaky, and every breath comes with a sharp pain in my ribs.

And then I hear it. A new sound. A deep, almost vibrating growl.

I slowly turn toward the tunnel. It's as if all the air around me has frozen. Even the hum of insects and distant echoes are no longer audible. A shadow appears from a side passage.

It's not a shadow. It's him.

Alpha.

He's more massive than anything I've seen in this damned place. His hide glistens as if coated in a layer of metal. His horns, reaching back, sparkle in the light of green crystals. Its eyes, scarlet as hot coal, stare into me, conveying a silent threat.

- Enemy: Alpha, - comes the AI's voice. - Threat level: maximum.

I lift the axe with effort, intercepting it with both hands, feeling my muscles protest every movement.

- Well, let's dance! - I exhale, and my heart quickens.

The alpha moves so fast that I barely have time to realize he's launched an attack. A leap, a claw strike. I activate my maneuvering thrusters, soaring away. Landing behind him, I plunge the axe into his back. The blade sinks into the chitin, but it doesn't reach the insides. The alpha lets out a growl that makes the air vibrate. A spiked tail comes down on my chest.

The shield goes down. Pain shoots through my entire body, and I feel my ribs crack. I struggled to keep my balance and raised my melta pistol.

- Burn, scum, - I wheeze, pulling the trigger.

The shot of plasma blinding me for a moment. The Alpha roars, but it's not pain, it's rage. He comes at me, his huge maw opening like a portal to hell.

My heart is ready to jump out of my chest. One thought pulses in my head, - "You can't lose. Not now."

Stepping slightly sideways, I put all my strength into a bottom-up punch. My fist, reinforced by armor servos, slams into the alpha's lower jaw with a deafening crack. The huge creature flies up, knocked off its feet, and, spinning in midair, crashes to the floor with a thud. Shards of stone and crystal fly in all directions, and the monster's body seemed briefly frozen in an unnatural position.

But I can't finish it. The surviving females have already risen, their yellow eyes burning with animalistic rage. A muffled growl echoes off the walls. They quickly disentangle themselves, and, rewarding each other with furious bites, begin to circle me from different directions.

- Not three at once, - I wheezed, feeling my ears begin to ring with fatigue. - I have to take out at least one of them.

I lunged at the wounded female, and she snarled, throwing her tail out sharply and aiming her stinger at my chest. She has one chance. I have none. I lunge forward, grabbing the tail with both hands. One hand clutching the base, the other tearing the stinger from its chitinous sheath.

The female howls, the stump whipping toxic blood that drenches my face and helmet. The screen flashes with warnings-the visibility systems have been compromised. I try to wipe the visor with my hand, but my blood-covered fingers only smear the slimy liquid further. My vision is getting worse, and every sound around me is sharpened to the extreme. I listen, recognizing the heavy footsteps of the alpha and the females trying to take me in a ring.

- Shit... I can't see, - I hissed, my fingers fumbling for the helmet's fasteners.

A click, the locks unclipping. I drop the helmet, breathing in the musty air of the cave. My chest burns, my lungs feel like they're filled with hot lead. But that's not the point right now. At the same moment, the alpha came at me with a snarl, his silhouette, barely visible through bloodshot eyes, approaching with frightening speed.

I don't even have time to dodge. The impact. The force of the collision rips the air from my chest and hurls me into the wall. A flash of pain in my side. The shield is off and the armor plate cracks, sagging inward.

- The armor... will hold... - I exhale, though my whole body screams otherwise.

Suddenly the female, who can still move, lunges at me. Her mouth is open, her sharp teeth bared, and her sting is ready to lash out again.

I use the last tool I have left in my hand, the stinger I ripped from the first creature. I wait a second, aiming for the jaws, then I hurl it with desperate precision.

It's a hit. The sting pierces the palate, and the organ reflexively injects venom into the female's body. Her movements become jerky, her paws lose control, and soon her huge body collapses, emitting a thud. Convulsions shake her carcass.

I shift my gaze to the remaining female. She growls and lunges again. The distance is so short now that she has no chance to dodge. The melta gun in my hand glows like a miniature sun. One shot is enough to turn the monster's head into a cloud of fumes and charred remains. The corpse, devoid of control, flies straight at me, and I barely have time to roll to the side before the massive body crashes into the rock where I was just standing.

That leaves the alpha.

He moves faster than he did before, perhaps rage has taken over caution. I don't have time to react. His powerful thrust throws me into the air, horns slamming into my chest like a battering ram. Pain rips through my body, my ribs crack, and the world becomes a chaotic swirl of ceiling and floor. The flight ends as abruptly as it began - I crash into the crystal, which shatters under my weight, and fall to the floor, every movement sending a searing pain down my spine.

Shields are down. The armor crackles. My body screams failure.

I struggle to get up, my breathing ragged, almost wheezing. Every second is labored, but I know there's no more time to rest. The alpha stands across from me, eyes burning scarlet as if they were harbingers of my death.

The predator's gaze is on me - a warrior, someone who has entered his territory and challenged him. In fact, it doesn't matter if the beast sees me as a rival who wants to take the food for himself, or as just another alpha predator. It won't change the outcome. 

- Only one of us will survive, - I say in a broken voice.

The alpha lowers his head and, with a roar, lunges at me again. His speed is still frightening, but I'm no longer afraid. I leap, flip in the air, and grab onto his horns. I'm now riding his neck.

After running a few more steps, the creature realizes what has happened and starts kicking to throw me off, but I have enough of those moments. Holding the predator firmly by the horns, I pull them to the sides. As it attempts, the beast hurts itself as the force of its thrashing adds to the pressure I exert. This causes one of the horns to break in the middle. The crackle of chitin and the hiss of its breath mingle with my pushes.

I don't hesitate. Changing my grip to a terrifyingly sharp piece of keratin the length of my arm, I try to drive the horn into the monster's throat.

But even in this position, the alpha finds a way to throw me off. He shakes his head, dropping me to the dusty stone floor. The pain flares up with renewed intensity. The armor status indicators are no longer warning-they're silent.

He paws me, pressing the metal into my chest, depriving me of movement. It opens its jaws, ready to finish the battle.

Even on the verge of losing consciousness, I realize I won't have time to pull out or defend myself. So I pick up the melta-gun, remove the power limit, and put my hand right on the monster's flying head.

The monster happily swoops down on my arm and the titanic maw closes in on my shoulder, piercing through the weakened armor and digging into the tender meat. 

Even in this drugged state I can feel the horrific pain of metal, fangs and bone digging into my body, but all I can do is speak:

- Die... alien filth, - I whisper.

A blinding stream of thermonuclear flame explodes everything: the gun, his insides, and my hand. The world turns into a bright flash and a resounding bang. By the time it subsides, the alpha is on the ground, and I'm standing there, missing my right arm, a black charred stump.

My strength is gone. The drugs are no longer working. Pain fills every cell in my body. I sink to the ground.

I didn't know how much time had passed. Everything was a mix of pain, blood, bright flashes of pain, and buzzing sounds in my ears. I stood on the edge, like a hunted animal that keeps fighting even when its strength is gone. Every movement was an infernal effort, as if every joint had been ripped from its roots and my skin was burning with fire.

It was hard to breathe. I was wracked by this unrelenting pain that filled my entire body. But worst of all, I knew I was dying. The thought pounded in my head that I wasn't going to get out, that this was the end.

I walked forward, toward the exit unable to stop. Every movement felt like a final push. The armor, weary from all the fighting, barely held my shattered body together. The walls covered with crystals seemed alive, reminding me that I was still in this hell. It was a sad contrast, the life that went on when I was on the verge of disappearing. But I wasn't gone yet, was I? I was alive. I was breathing, even if it was excruciating.

As I took a step, my wrist twitched, pain shooting through me. I nearly fell over. There was no helmet, and the armor systems wouldn't respond. Even so, I knew that with every passing second, life was killing me.

My breathing became heavy, like I was trying to inhale hot air, probably one of my lungs had failed, but I gritted my teeth and went forward anyway. I had to finish this. There had to be something I could do before everything went dark.

The world was getting blurrier and blurrier, its outlines blurring. I saw stars in front of my eyes. Or was it something else? It was like death, like the void I was sinking into, but I was still here, still alive - for now.

- "Not now,"- I thought, inhaling, feeling my ribcage constrict. I couldn't let myself do this. This was my life. My struggle. My responsibility.

I tried to take a step, but my legs were too weak. I could feel my knees buckling and my body losing stability. 

- "No," - I needed to hold on.

- "I need to get through this moment, I need to hold on."

I knew I couldn't leave. I couldn't leave this without knowing what would happen next.

A dark veil covered my eyes. There was a noise in my ears, like empty space, and I could feel how hard it was for me to breathe. The body was ruined. I was ruined.

But I was alive.

I had broken free from this tyranny of pain and desire to consume me. I forced myself to straighten up, but everything was blurring in my eyes. This moment was my test, a test of survival, a test of what I could endure, what I could contain.

None of it was in vain. My strength was running out, but I was ready to fight. With every new effort, with every breath, with every second leap forward - I fought myself. I couldn't let it be.

And at that moment, the strength finally left me. 

- Just as I knew. this is how it's going to be. - I whisper, feeling my consciousness fade.

My vision fades, but before I finally lose touch with reality, I see... what is it?

Some kind of light coming toward me is refracted in the crystals, and for a moment I think I see the silhouette of a dark figure in them. Or is it just my dying consciousness playing tricks on me?

Either way, I tried and failed. It's better to die here than to die later from some little thing.

- At least it was fun in the end, - I said, and fell into darkness.