Descent

Entering the staff room, Himari quickly shut the door behind them. Her eyes scanned the surrounding room.

Yuka stared in defeat, her body just limping over slightly. "Himari, our lives outside are over, aren't they? My room, my ramen, my journal. It's all over, isn't it?"

While she broke down, Himari was already getting shelves from the side and pulling them towards the door; the screeching sound was irritating, but it was necessary pain. “Now isn’t the time; just go turn on the computer and log in.”

Yuka raised her head slightly towards the centre of the room, a fine hardwood desk with a computer on top of it. It was exactly the same as the computer, but the desk screamed 'pristine'.

She walked over, settling into a black leather chair. The comfort was in another world, but she knew she had to keep going.

Run the application, mwchat; log in; and determine what I need to do. No point in worrying. I only had three days left anyway.

She clicked around the computer and typed in the login.

???: “Is everything all right? I heard a massive commotion up there. I also see that everyone in the complex is mobilised. I will try to figure something out.”

Yuka: “Please tell me everything will be ok, you who know everything; tell me that both of us will be left alive—please."

It was already too late to turn back; she knew that going forward would be where she must move.

…

???: “I promise, we will all achieve freedom even if we have to sacrifice something. Believe in yourself."

His message was motivating, one of a leader who knows being broken now means it's over.

After using multiple shelves to block the entrance. Himari rushed over to Yuka’s side and slid the keyboard towards her. The door handle started to twist up and down in frustration from the other side but to no avail.

Himari: “What do we need from here? Make it quick!”

??? “File names: H-028, J-019, B-005. They are sorted alphabetically and will be the most useful based on their title. Try to also grab any surrounding files since they might be useful. I will start finding a way out.”

Himari quickly rushed over to the shelves on the left of the room to start her search. “Yuka, take the other side!"

“R—right!” Yuka took a deep breath in.

This is your moment to prove you are useful. Everyone is relying on you. Just focus on the task.

Her chest relaxed, she exhaled and then took deep breaths as she started to glance over at the right side of the room with shelves stacked with cabinets.

She ran over to the shelves and started searching. “A, U, W, Z." Bright pink eyes tracked each letter from column to column and row to row until they landed on 'J'. Dropping the cabinet on the ground, she got on her knees and used her slim fingers to flick rapidly where ‘019’ was hiding.

Himari, on the other side, had already searched through the ‘H’ cabinet efficiently, making sure nothing hid from her. “Found you—” Her hands grabbed hold of a bundle of folders, and then she walked over to the wooden desk and placed them beside the computer.

The door started to go from handle movement to full ramming. “I found the J files.” Yuka walked over to the desk as well; she placed the files above the others as they both searched for the final set.

How much more before they break in? Every bang sends a shiver. I can't take it. Just trusting them to find a way out, they said they can, so there should be a way even in a locked room.

“I can't find anything labelled ‘B’.” Himari stood up from her knees, moving towards Yuka's shelves. The difference in their speed was clear. “Yuka, check on the computer while I continue.”

The computer screen flashed a new message.

???: "Flick the light switch four times, wait a second, then another two times."

Without replying, Yuka ran towards the light switch behind the group of shelves near the door; her fingers reaching over, she flicked as instructed.

off, on, off, on.

“Stop flicking; I can't see!” Himari protested from the back of the room before the sudden realisation she had.​

Now flick again!

Off, on.

“I did it, Himari." The wall at the very back of the room behind the desk started to slide left; a dimly lit staircase descended into infinity.

“I can't find the files! Just wait a moment." Himari started to increase her pacing; sweat formed underneath her short white hair.

Thud.

The door burst inwards, knocking the shelves down onto the floor.

Himari ran over grabbing the axe and handing the files to Yuka. “Screw this, we need to go.”

THEY peeked in from behind, “Don’t run, @cc3pt y0ur f@t3”

Yuka’s mind closed down; her balance lost in an instant, she sank to the floor, dropping all the files. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry!”

I should have never done this; I should have stayed good! The letters, all their fault!

Himari hauled her up. “All this effort—” With a fast reaction, she reached out to a cabinet from a nearby shelf and put the files into the cabinet before locking it and throwing them down the opening.

With Yuka unresponsive, Himari walked over to the opening with the axe in one hand for self-defence and holding Yuka in the other.

THEY smashed through the barricade and saw a glimpse of them going down. “Th3 C0mput3r is on, c0nn3ct3d t0 s0m30n3.” THEY all gathered around the computer screen as THEY demanded “Tr@ck it.”

A message, however, popped up.

???: “I will cause a loss greater than yesterday if you dare come down.”

...

Click-clack.

The immense weight of an axe, Yuka who leaned over her, Himari wouldn't last much longer. “What have they done to you for you to react this intensely?” Her voice dropped a pitch lower. “I won’t repeat the same mistake.”

The stairs went down and down further. Yuka was unresponsive yet still moving despite her legs already burning from the descent; both of their lungs screamed, but Himari’s grip never loosened, knowing that if she let go it would mean death.

It took another thirty seconds of steps before overhead lights started to illuminate the area around them.

Stainless steel floors and hard grey concrete walls, cold and damp, like it was abandoned or still being built. The overhead lights infused within the metallic ceiling buzzed and flickered; there was sharp glass broken everywhere, but most importantly, the silence and stillness were haunting.

“Let’s sit down; I'm too tired.” Himari saw a spot where less glass contaminated it; she also kicked away any stubborn shards as backup. She put the axe onto the floor with a metallic ring which echoed for a couple of moments.

After Yuka got put down, Himari grabbed the cabinet and took the files out. “I wonder what's inside.” As her fingers glided over the front page, exhaustion quickly spiralled into her bones.

There was only the cold wall left to support her. “I overdid it; hopefully it will be fine to just rest—”

Himari’s chest rose and lowered. Asleep, in full hope for the first time that she would wake up once again.

Time passed.

Yuka began to shift around, waking herself up.

Yuka looked at the axe and the area she was in. It was all unfamiliar other than Himari. Her body, the one that was so useless during the most important part.

Finally, I could do something good. Yuka slowly clutched the axe that lay on the ground.

Why am I so useless? Why do I fold so easily at the most important moment? I forced Himari to the limit, yet I still have energy. THEY scared me; THEY were mad; THEY won over me.

Yuka looked down, her face full of sorrow and regret at her mistakes today. “I am sorry, Himari; I will guard us for now.”

Where are we? These materials, the layout and cold, distant atmosphere, and the stuffy yet freezing air – it's like nobody touched this place. It's definitely not a maintenance tunnel or a sewer system either, I can tell that much.

The corridor had occasionally tilted doors, leaving small crevices to enter from in the distance. The overhead lights flickered but were stable. Something on her mind bothered her, however.

No cubes?

Yuka turned quickly around in a circle, the cubes which ate streets, buildings and everything in the near area of the complex.

There was nothing down here, like this area was outside of this world.

Why are they not here?

She glanced back towards Himari. Yuka noticed the files scattered on the floor, probably from her lack of effort to hold them after she passed out. “Giving a look won't hurt.” Walking over with the axe on her shoulder, Yuka knelt down before she picked a file at random.

#report-log-H-002: Testing communication between humans and animals of lower stature went incorrectly.

What a useless report! How would this even help our leader? This does, however, seem like the start since it is just the second log; maybe I can find more.

Yuka tried to find anything of interest; all these files seemed at least a couple of years old by the stains around them and the collected dust that had gathered.

...

“Agh— hmm—” Himari's voice broke through the silence. She opened her eyes slowly, her grogginess evidant while staring into Yuka's eyes. “How much was I out for?”

Yuka smirked. “I don’t know—maybe an hour?”

She turned towards Yuka’s sides; the files lay flat.

Himari's voice flattened. “Was there anything useful?”

“Just communication stuff, animal tests, and some experiments, but I only skimmed a few.”

Himari grabbed a file and looked through it, the details, and the participants. Her expression turned into a deep, grim smile. “Do you remember any of this?”

Yuka looked onto the floor; her mind tried to remember.

Himari continued by grabbing another file labelled J-019. “J-019, this was something I remember that was talked about in rumour years ago, of a girl who went through so much that she broke. Do you have a second name, Yuka?”

She shook her head; just pure confusion was upon her.

“Whatever they did to this girl, it definitely worked. I can verify that myself. What a pitiful life to live as a tool for the future.”

Yuka quickly stood up. “I want to see it!”

“No.” Himari’s eyes turned darker, and the file quickly folded back into its closed state, sealed away from Yuka’s prying eyes.

Yuka moved fast; she tried to snatch the files from Himari’s hands, but Himari ducked while using her palm to push down Yuka onto the hard surface.

“I said no.”

Yuka got off the floor and picked up the axe.

“Planning to kill me now?”

Yuka took a look down at her harsh grip on the axe.

“If I wanted you dead, I already had an hour to do it.”

…

“It's too quiet here.” Himari gave a shy yawn and looked up the stairs. “It also seems THEY haven't followed us for whatever reason, which is both a good and a bad thing if even THEY don't come down here.”

Yuka nodded in agreement. “I'm sorry for getting all useless up there; I didn't know what happened—”

“Forget about it; you paid back the favour, so we’re even now. Thanks for keeping me safe, Grim Reaper." Himari turned herself away.

Yuka knew deflection in its purest form; her avoidance of the matter was clear as day.

Their eyes looked forward; the area silent in front called towards them; it was only a matter of exploring the unknown.