Prologue: I know you won't

“Don't look at it!” hissed Hikari.

But his fear had already outpaced her concern and the sight of the monstrous dog locked his entire body in place. It crept towards them, as huge as a horse with smoke drifting from his dark fur in acrid tendrils. Menacing enough to make all of the other monsters they had encountered so far seem like house spiders preceding a tarantula in comparison.

It didn't bare its teeth nor did it growl. The only sound Yota could hear past his own shallow breathing was the metallic clink of its claws on the stone floor. The hellish scarlet glow of its unblinking eyes seemed to vaporise the liquid in his blood vessels.

“Damn it,” said Hikari as she looked back at him. “You're going to have to drop down first, okay?”

“No.” His tremulous whisper felt even smaller with the gaping elevator shaft behind him.

“You can do it.” She kept an eye on the approaching beast, reaching back to place an encouraging hand on his shoulder. “Just hang down as low as you can before you let go, okay? It's not that far.”

“I can't.” He shivered non stop but couldn't bring himself to look away from the creature already silently tearing his survival instincts to shreds. “I can't move.”

“You can.” Her eyes flitted back towards it. “I'll be right behind you.”

“No.” He couldn't even shake his head.

There was no way they would both escape the monster. It would take Hikari out the second he turned his back on her and then it would drag him back down the corridor. He knew he wouldn't even have the strength to scream as it ripped him apart, body and soul. It was pointless. They were both going to die in the worst possible way and no amount of fighting back would stop it from happening.

“I promise I will.” Her fingers trailed down to his upper arm as if she were about to shake him. “Just go.”

“You won't.” His eyes filled with hopeless tears. They trickled down his face, ice-cold instead of warm. “I know you won't.”

“Yota?” She twisted to face him, worry in her gaze even as desperation tightened her expression.

The demon-like dog sped up, loping silently towards them and growing larger by the second. He dropped to his knees as its shadows engulfed his senses, unable to resist the overpowering presence that pressed against his ears like a distant yet piercing howl.

“I can't,” he whispered, clutching his head with both hands, his pale grey eyes wide and unsteady. “I can't do this any more.”

And, at that point in time, he wasn't sure which one of them he was talking to.

Hikari, the monster … or himself.