The mysterious woman stepped into the sky. Was she floating? Or was it something else? She didn't have time to search for answers. Her countless wounds ached, her body almost at its limit. Every step she took felt heavier, as though the very air was conspiring against her. She felt the weight of the universe pressing on her shoulders, but she was still standing, still moving forward.
She had come so far. Yet, in that vast emptiness, she felt more lost than ever.
"So, you are the one who came," a voice echoed through the sky.
She blinked, and now — where there had been nothing — sat a man dressed in white, drinking his coffee.
"Surprised? I thought you knew everything," the woman said, fearless, though inside she was trembling.
"Oh no, I just created the game. How you play it, is up to you, my dear," the man said with a smile. "It just so happens that the seven who came before were all men."
She still had enough energy to smile. "And look how well they did! Don't you think it might be time to change the tactics?"
A big laugh filled the sky. The man was enjoying himself immensely, his laughter ringing out like the sound of a distant bell. It seemed like ages since he had last laughed like that. And maybe it had been. One thing was certain: now, she was furious.
"How can you laugh like that? When you're about to... end my world?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "My family, my friends — everything I have! And you're about to destroy it all..."
The man raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "So, this new tactic is to cry for mercy? I have to give you credit — nobody tried that before. They usually just barged in with their demands and wishes. The wishes were clever, I'll give them that. I just think it wasn't their time yet." He took a slow sip of his coffee, clearly savoring the moment.
"It was all in vain, wasn't it?" she asked, regaining her composure.
"Not really. With each one, the game got harder for me and easier for... you," he replied with a grimace. "But I'm still unbeaten."
She paused, considering his words. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger, but there was something else, too. Something deeper. A strange sense of sympathy.
"Isn't it lonely? Playing this game forever?" she asked.
"Lonely?" He looked at her as though she had just asked the most perplexing question. "It's the best thing in the entire world."
She looked at him with pity in her eyes. "I guess that's the life of The—"
"Don't!" he snapped suddenly, his voice thunderous, shaking the very air around them. "They can't know my name. Not yet."
"They?" She looked around, feeling the weight of his words. But there was no one there. To be honest, ever since she arrived in this strange place, there had always been this feeling that... someone was watching. Not one, not two, not three — the number was so high, she couldn't even comprehend it. Who were they? she thought, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. That was a good idea, at least for a moment, to collect herself.
She opened her eyes, staring into nothingness. And then, suddenly, something changed. Somehow, they were easier to be seen. They were bright and green, full of hope. We could see them so clear almost as if they were looking at... us?
Finally, she understood everything. It all clicked into place, and the fog in her mind cleared. A big smile spread across her face as she turned her gaze back toward the man. "You are a sick fuck, you know that?"
He smiled in return, genuinely enjoying the compliment. But before he could say anything, something happened. The woman collapsed to her knees, blood leaking from every wound, her body finally giving out from the strain.
"That's unfortunate," the man said. "I wish we could keep going, but the time has come."
She looked up to find him sitting only a few meters away, an unsettling calmness in his posture. But then, she noticed something else. Behind him stood a being that was neither man, woman, nor beast. Its shape shifted, constantly changing, as though it were made of pure energy. It seemed to grow bigger and bigger, until it was larger than the universe itself.
"What's... that?" She struggled to find her words, panic creeping into her voice.
"That, my dear, is your way out," he responded, his tone surprisingly gentle. "Considering you'll still have somewhere to go."
She growled, trying to rise, her legs trembling beneath her. She didn't want to be lying on the floor or kneeling like a loser. She wanted to stand tall, proud, like a promised hero, ready to save her world.
The man smiled as he saw her pretty eyes level with his. "Tell me now, Eight," he said, as the being covered everything. "What do you wish?"
There was no fear left in her, not anymore. She had made her choice.
"I wish..."