To Become a God

There was a deep, wounded silence that was more disturbing than the turmoil itself when the violent tremble of the citadel's self-destruction finally subsided. A blazing fire was the only source of light and sound in a small cave that was protected from the starless emptiness by a thick ivy curtain. Their faces were painted in shades of orange and deep black by the long, swirling shadows that its flames projected, emphasizing the filth and fatigue that were carved onto their features.

Katrina was kneeling next to Polina, working quietly and intently. She dabbed at Polina's sore, chafed wrist wounds with a clean cloth strip dipped in their meager supply of water. Although she would never have acknowledged it, there was a hint of care in her precise, even professional movements. Nicolas sat across from them, tossing sticks into the fire, staring into the coals while his thoughts reenacted the impossibility of Suge being engulfed by his own might.

"There," Katrina murmured softly while tying the last improvised bandage. "For now, that's the best I can do. It ought to feel better.

Polina saw a funeral pyre instead of warmth as her gaze stayed locked on the mesmerizing sway of the flames. When she did speak, her voice was as fragile and thin as charred paper. "What's the point? In this whole fake universe, the only thing—the only person—that felt genuine is no longer there.

With her hands still resting over Polina's arm, Katrina hesitated. With the slightest of fractures visible in the practical mask she wore so skillfully, she put the wet cloth aside. She responded, "Don't say that," in a tone that was softer than Nicolas had ever heard. "Remain optimistic. Suge is obstinate. I have witnessed him flee from conflicts that ought to have destroyed him. He'll manage. He assured us that he would see us.

Polina looked up at last, her eyes glimmering in the firelight with unshed tears. Her voice broke as she muttered, "You don't understand." I've felt like an actress on stage ever since I can remember. Every action and every phrase seemed predetermined. Before I met him, I had a sneaking suspicion that this reality was false. Suge. I wasn't treated like a program by him. He was honest with me about the Zinox, the game, and everything else. And he looked at me and saw Polina, so I believed him in addition to what he said. Not the sister of "Gein." Not related to a monster. The only one who didn't fear me was him. The only thing I had ever known that was real was what we had. If he's not there... The remainder of the phrase was ripped from her by a rough sob.

Nicolas broke through the dense silence of the cave to say, "He isn't." It was forceful, but with a hard-won conviction rather than a naive optimism. "He'll be present. I have no doubt about it.

There was a glimmer of perplexity in their eyes as Polina's tearful eyes turned to him. "How do you know for sure?"

In an attempt to communicate a truth that went beyond their world's logic, Nicolas looked her in the eyes. His voice was level as he said, "I know we share one thing, even though our situations are different." We are both familiar with the experience of being thrust into an unfeasible reality and instructed to survive. In a situation like this, hope is a weapon, not a sentiment. It's a decision. He decided. We must now create our own.

The fire crackled in the void between them, and Polina remained silent for a while. She appeared to be testing the substance of his statements. Finally, in a scarcely audible whisper, she murmured, "You risked all of this for him." "What made you assist him in saving me?"

Nicolas parted his lips, then shut them again. Now, the straightforward response—a deal for a guide—seemed like a betrayal. A life had been lost in the transaction.

In a straightforward and concise response, Katrina stated unequivocally, "Because he was our friend." As she spoke, she appeared to test the word, a strange idea that immediately made perfect sense. "He requested assistance. We provided it. There is nothing more to it than that.

"You don't fear me, do you?" Polina inquired, her voice quivering a little. "Aware of whose blood flows through my veins?"

Katrina's lip corner twitched into a weary, wry smile. "When we pulled you from the top of that tower, I believe we provided an answer to that."

Polina's wall of anguish appeared to be breached by the obvious, unquestionable reality of it. She made a concession by bowing her head. Pulling the small blanket firmly around her shoulders, she mumbled, "Okay." "I'll accompany you to the temple. And I hope to see him there, too.

Katrina gave a single, firm nod and murmured, "Good." "Take a nap. At first dawn, we depart.

The following day's trip was a silent procession. The noises of a living world gradually replaced the stifling quiet as they retreated from the edge of the hole where the stronghold had once stood. They entered a grove of tall, old trees along the path, and the chilly air carried with it the scent of pine and damp ground. With quiet, light steps, Katrina walked on, followed by Nicolas and Polina, who were silently burdened by Suge's absence.

"What made you think he was real?" After a while, Nicolas inquired, his voice low amid the woods' emptiness.

Polina maintained her gait. "Because he demonstrated that all of the information I had been given about the Zinox was false." They are referred to as a plague in this world, a curse that should be feared and eradicated. The first person who didn't try to kill me was him. He just spoke to me. He wasn't scared, as I previously stated. Any argument was less persuasive than that deed alone.

"How does it feel?" Nicolas couldn't help but inquire. "Knowing what you know, living here?"

Polina paused for a while and turned to face him. It was shocking how tired her eyes were. She gave a straightforward but devastating response. "Like being alive."

After taking in what she had said, Nicolas continued. "How about your brother? Gein? Does he share your sentiments?

Polina's face took on a shadow as the light in her eyes faded. He claimed to have seen something following his most recent conflict with Suge. A fissure in the heavens. Now he gets it. He is definitely aware that he is playing a game.

"Why all this if he knows," Nicolas said, perplexed. Why the damage, the knights, and the castle?

Polina replied, her voice lowering to a near whisper, "Because learning the truth didn't make him want to escape," with a chilling blend of grief and terror. It inspired him to triumph. For him, simply ruling this planet is no longer sufficient. He desires to be its deity.

"It's God." Nicolas whispered, feeling a chill of dread at the ambition's utter, horrifying boldness. A dreadful new light now shone on the whole battle, the whole conflict.

Katrina came to a complete stop in front of them at that same time. Her body tensed, she held up a hand. When she did speak, it pierced the quiet forest air with clarity.

"We're present."