The Glow of the Aurora

      Do you… enjoy playing? A question you’ve heard countless times, but never gave a clear answer to. It was always evasive, hollow, or outright a lie.       Yes. Yes, you love to play. Controlling the character on the screen. Watching them grow, helping those in need. Under your command, there were always righteous heroes, carving their path to freedom, reaching through the thorns toward the stars.       Or so… you thought. Only two days have passed, but you’ve already grown to loathe your favorite hobby. All because of one tiny detail coexisting inside you. Your Soul. Even now, as you scan the island’s surroundings, it isn’t you doing it. You try to resist, to turn the other way, but your body refuses to obey. The Soul has complete control over you. Susie and Ralsei don’t notice, but your answers, your actions, even your thoughts—all of it is dictated by the will of the Soul within.       You turn past a tree and spot a small raft. Same shape and size as the one in Tenna’s previous game. "Haaah..." You let out a heavy sigh.       Your memory rarely failed you. You always remembered every detail, no matter where you were or what the situation was. Yet, right now, you cannot recall how exactly you ended up here. All you can understand is that you are on the same island where Tenna’s second game took place.       You walk to the shore and touch the water. Warm. The temperature is so perfect it feels like a mere dream. You smile, remembering evenings spent before the TV screen. When your hands gripped the controller, and Asriel sat nearby, constantly nudging you on what to do next.       However, the smile quickly vanishes as you find yourself on the raft. Your hands sheath your sword and grab the oar. You’ve never rowed a boat before, yet the precise movements of your arms prove otherwise. "Stop doing this" — you want to scream the phrase, but the words get stuck somewhere in your throat.       With each stroke, you slowly approach the opposite shore. Several monsters are visible on it. They don’t seem to have noticed you. You want to swim away from them, but a dragging sensation in your chest prevents it. You step onto the sand and immediately draw your blade.       The monsters notice this and immediately begin to attack. Letting out a short breath, you crouch slightly to make a sharp lunge. This blade... You've seen it before. But back then, it was on a large screen, and you weren't even the one holding it. It easily cut through opponents, allowing you to grow a little stronger.       Even now, when this isn't even a game, you realize that killing monsters makes you stronger. Your sword swings become faster and lighter, and your opponents weaker. Finishing off a lizard that sprang from the bushes, you sheath your sword and take a deep breath.       Everything is repeating again. You look at the sand beneath your feet and see gray dust traces on it. The remains of defeated monsters. A light gust of wind lifts the ashes into the air and scatters them across the area, leaving no trace of the past battle. The environment itself conceals that life was here.       You look at your hands and see white marks on them. They are so similar to snow mixed with ice. You raise your head, watching the clouds gather. A winter chill fills the air; faint wisps of steam escape your mouth. You lower your head and look at the raft. In the distance, on the horizon line, you see a tall mountain.       You don't notice yourself back by the water again. Your reflection is visible in it. A cold gaze from a pair of ruby eyes, light armor with visible traces of many battles, and a sheathed sword. Fresh dust is visible on its blade. Your hands clench into fists. You feel cold. Unnoticed, fine snow begins to fall from the sky. It covers everything around, gradually transforming the blooming paradise island into a lifeless snowy grave.       You step onto the raft and grab the oar. You try to row, but you can’t. The oar's shaft breaks off, the remaining part freezing into the ice. You step onto the ice, afraid of falling through, but no. The crust crunches underfoot but holds you firmly.       You walk towards the mountain, watching everything turn white. Rare gusts of wind lift snowdrifts into the air. You would even allow yourself to enjoy this beauty, if not for yesterday. The moment you clearly realized what a monster was hidden in your chest.       Every enemy who fled into the Dark World made you and your team stronger. Every battle filled you with experience. And… to some extent, you might even have liked it. If you, Susie, and Ralsei are having fun, why not?       However, everything changed fundamentally when you met Noelle. Someone who has known you for a very long time and whom you cherish incredibly deeply. But it was at your behest that this fragile girl slowly turned into a mindless puppet.       The traces of your pair's battles were visible to everyone. Monsters frozen to death, solidified in icy figures, would long remind you of what you had wrought. The moment you personally placed the Thorn Ring on her finger became the extreme point when the Soul revealed its true essence.       You remember vividly the terror on Noelle’s face when she realized she had encountered Berdly. Her cry to flee, and his shock as she rose into the air, chanting a spell. Her apathy, her clumsy steps, and those words—that she didn’t feel well. All of it was branded into your memory like a searing iron.       You clenched your fists and gritted your teeth. Your heart ached at what the parasite had done to Noelle. What it had committed through your hands, and what it continued to do even now.       The Soul does not know that you have already apologized to Noelle. And it never will. You begged her to forget the Dark World. To forget all those she had frozen there. To not worry about Berdly. To not blame herself for what happened. "I hope this ends soon," you thought, approaching the glaciers.       You had seen them during the game, but Tenna wouldn’t let you pass, blocking the way. Now… now there was no one left to stop you. Only you, the Soul, and an endless expanse of snow and ice.       After trekking along most of the shore, you stopped before high doors. Right in the center, the Delta Rune was carved. Your hand touched the door; you felt a small indentation beneath your fingers. "Did you forget something important?" a voice echoed in your head. Too familiar not to be irritating.       You reached into the bag beneath your cape and pulled out a small key. Cold, almost icy to the touch, it slid easily into the keyhole and turned several times.       The stone valves began to open slowly, letting you into the dark labyrinth. As soon as you crossed the threshold, the doors behind you slammed shut with a crash. In the distance, you noticed several monsters scurrying in different directions. They sensed your presence but did not dare to attack.       You drew your sword and looked at your reflection in the blade. To your surprise, you noticed a faint shadow of a smile on your face. It seemed this was what Ramb was talking about. You only find pleasure when you make the decisions yourself, even if they aren't by your own will.       You moved through room after room, carving a path forward. With every fallen monster, you became swifter. Their attacks wounded you less, while you, in turn, only gained power. You felt that nothing could stop you anymore.       At the crossroads, you encountered a pair of strange monsters. They didn’t react to you, merely wandering aimlessly through the room. You tried to cut them down, but the sword, as if made of rubber, bounced off their skin. Monsters like these began to appear more often. At one point, it even seemed they were stubbornly following you. But when you turned around—nothing. Only you and your sword, coated in a thin layer of gray dust.       You went deeper into the dungeon, noticing it was getting colder. The water in small crevices was covered with ice; the walls were coated in a thin shroud of frost. Entering yet another hall, you noticed a solitary monster shivering from the cold. You took a step toward him, sword raised, but noticed just in time that he was scratching something with his claws. — The forgotten path begins with ice magic, — the voice echoed in your head.       Your sword-hand trembled. You didn’t want this to happen again, but the world forced reality upon you. Gradually, the trembling subsided, and the blade pierced the monster's body, turning it to dust.       You moved back to the crossroads. Turning a corner, you saw a dense wall of trees. Their golden foliage stood out sharply against the frozen walls. They looked exactly like the trees near the bunker. You involuntarily gritted your teeth. The Soul felt it, its pulse quickening. Was the parasite actually worried?       Only after making sure everything was "in order" did you make several powerful swings. The blade went through the trunks like a hot knife through butter. The passage behind you collapsed; there was no way back.       This continued until you found yourself locked in a small hall, alone with a figure in a white cloak. — The Hero has come. The Hero will help me. The Hero has come. The Hero will help me...       Your hand gently lifted the edge of the hood. Your fears were confirmed. Her eyes were completely white, yet you felt her looking into yours. — Hero. You have a sword in your hand. Have you come to save me? — You didn’t know how to react. But the parasite did. Your hands gripped the girl’s shoulders, squeezing them tightly. — Follow me, — a hollow voice escaped your mouth. Low, as if sounding straight from the underworld.       You felt Noelle begin to tremble. A tear rolled down her cheek. She clutched your hand, and the Thorn Ring immediately caught your eye. The spikes dug deep into her finger, making it bleed. You tried to pull the ring off, but Noelle wouldn’t let you. — Lead the way, Hero. I will follow wherever you go.       Noelle followed obediently, biting her lip to cope with the mounting pain. The parasite was clearly enjoying what was happening to you. You encountered those invincible monsters again. — Proceed, — the parasite spoke. Noelle nodded and held out her bloodied hand. — Permafrost.       Several large icicles formed around the monsters. Noelle snapped her fingers; the shards lunged forward, piercing them through. They didn’t even realize what had killed them. — We’ve become even stronger. Right, Hero? — Noelle asked, grabbing your hand. It was icy. You wanted to pull away, but you just nodded. — Then let’s go further. The exit is very close.       They were all frozen the moment you merely pointed at them. At one point, you tried to point at yourself. But the parasite wouldn’t allow it. Noelle walked much more confidently now, no longer hiding the blood on her hands. — We’re almost there, Hero.       You heard a piercing ring. Several icy shards rolled to your feet—frozen claws of some blue-feathered bird. In the corner of the hall, encased in thick ice, lay the body of a blue bird. You swallowed a hard lump. Looking at this bird, you fully realized that you had almost killed your classmate. Right now, Berdly is lying in a hospital bed. — Hero, are you okay? — Noelle came closer. For a moment, you thought you saw a crimson glint in her pupils. — That monster won’t bother you anymore. I froze him. — You did well. Keep going, — the parasite spoke. Noelle responded with a faint smile and pointed to an open passage.       The dungeon descended deep down, where light could not penetrate. — We have arrived, Hero, — Noelle said, stopping at high gates. She touched the surface and… vanished. Only the snow-white cloak was left in your hands. Beneath it, you noticed a slight glint. — The ice key was used up. — The key turned and shattered.       You tried to push the doors but fell through. Realizing there was no way out, you pulled the cloak from your inventory and pressed it against the door. — She was used up. — The door slammed open, letting you into its dark abode. Footsteps echoed through the empty space. Every step resonated with the parasite's light. — Well done. — A voice echoed hollowly through the void. — You found my secret hiding place. But... there is nothing here ...is there? — The laughter became louder and more agonizing.       The voice’s words provoked the parasite. You raced through endless spaces for hours. Its light began to fade. You smirked. You took a few steps forward and bent down to the floor. — You got the Shelter key. — At that moment, you felt your heart sink into your heels.       You wanted to scream, to rip the Soul from your chest, but you couldn't. — Oh... You found that, too! Perfect, just perfect... Thank you for all your work, Kris!       A dull thud. The ground slipped from beneath your feet. The wind whistled in your ears. Cold, almost freezing. — You were used up, — the voice in your head spoke, and everything around you went silent.       You hung in the air. Time began to reverse. You were standing near Noelle again, clutching her shoulders. — Wake up, — she whispered, touching your chest. She had frozen your Soul. You watched the patterns of ice spreading on your armor. "Maybe it'll be better this way," you thought, falling at her feet. — It will all be over soon.       You jerked awake in the game room. Translucent white steam seeped from the console. You turned on the screen. A blue screen with a single inscription: "DON'T FORGET. IT'S IN YOUR BAG." You reached into your inventory and felt the Shelter Key. At the exit, you bumped into Ramb. — Kris! How was the game? Did you like it? — Did you hear anything? From the room. — What? No, Kris. I was standing here and didn't hear a single noise. But Tenna really might have heard something... Sorry to say this, but... most likely, the next time will be the last.       You just gave him a short nod. Before you could leave, he grabbed your hand. — Hey, Kris… Are you okay? You don't look so good.       The parasite gave a short nod for you. Ramb smiled. — Then again, you're talking to a living extension cord. So maybe not. — Thank you, — you said softly. — You're welcome, luv. The main thing is that games still bring you joy, like before. You love to play, don't you?