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墨書 Inktalez
Jonas stood at the entrance of the cave, surrounded by darkness, with only the faint light of his flashlight flickering around him. The static from the radio crackled incessantly, further fraying his nerves. He tried once more to call out to Raymond or anyone at the outpost—Alison, Samuel, or any of the other mercenaries—but each time he was met with nothing but garbled noise. Communication had completely broken down.
He took a deep breath, the worst possibilities already surfacing in his mind—Samuel's mutation had caused chaos, and perhaps everyone had scattered in a panic or were forced to fight him. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy Jonas felt. Raymond and the other mercenaries had been through countless battles; dealing with a soon-to-be-mutated Samuel shouldn't be that difficult. Besides, they had the advantage in numbers and weapons, making it easy to handle.
"How could this happen?" Jonas furrowed his brow, a chill creeping into his heart. Everything felt illogical.
Suddenly, an invisible pressure enveloped him, as if cold hands were gently brushing down his spine. His body froze involuntarily, goosebumps rising on his skin as a chilling thought surged through his mind—Raymond might not be the only one infected.
"There’s a third one..." Jonas whispered to himself, suddenly realizing this possibility.
He dared not think further. This meant that besides Samuel, there was another person infected by the Black Worm, someone who might be hiding among them, waiting for the next outbreak. And that person could very well be... Raymond.
"No, it can't be... Raymond..." Jonas fought to deny this thought in his mind, but that instinct kept him trapped in fear. Raymond and his mercenary team were supposed to be stable and reliable; if they too were infected or completely controlled by the Worm, then the situation was far worse than he had anticipated.
He felt an inexplicable pressure; everything seemed to spiral out of control.
"Damn it, what is going on?" Jonas muttered under his breath, but the chill deep within him refused to fade.
Now there was only one choice—he had to return to the outpost as quickly as possible to ensure their safety and see if there was still a chance to rescue the others.
Jonas quickened his pace, his footsteps echoing in the cave as if urging him to move faster. Each step intensified his unease. Raymond—his old comrade and brother-like partner—had now become the greatest uncertainty. Whether it was his earlier weakness or sudden bouts of rage, it all felt like warning signals flashing in his mind. Jonas didn’t want to believe it but couldn’t ignore these signs. Everything was too abnormal.
"Raymond..." Jonas murmured his name softly, feeling increasingly conflicted within himself.
He had fought alongside Raymond on the battlefield countless times, covering each other and saving one another in life-and-death situations. Those memories surged back like a flood. Countless times, Raymond had shielded him from deadly attacks amidst the hail of bullets, leading him out of the flames of war; and he himself had rescued Raymond from peril at the most dangerous moments.
They were comrades who lived and died together, trusting each other implicitly, understanding one another without the need for words. But now, Jonas had to confront a cruel reality: Raymond might no longer be the person he once knew. He could have been infected by Black Worm, becoming a dangerous entity.
Jonas paused slightly in his steps, trying to clear his mind. If Raymond was indeed one of the infected hosts, could he bring himself to act against him? Could he truly aim his gun at him and pull the trigger?
“He is my brother…” Jonas asked himself, filled with pain and conflict. He did not want to envision such a scene; it was too brutal. Could a brother who once saved his life really become an enemy? Could he bear the agony of ending such a deep friendship with his own hands?
The familiar face flashed in his mind—Raymond enduring through countless battles, their conversations by the campfire at night, even the casual jokes they shared. These memories tightened around Jonas's heart like an invisible hand, making it hard for him to breathe.
But reality would not allow him to hesitate. Raymond might no longer be that companion; he could have been completely eroded, transformed into some unknown monster. If that were truly the case, Jonas had no choice but to face this reality.
“Can I do it?” he silently asked himself.
Deep down, he knew the answer—he was unwilling and uncertain if he could.
Jonas gritted his teeth, pushing away those heavy emotions and forcing himself to focus on the path ahead. He knew that hesitation would cost more lives, and what mattered most now was finding Raymond and confirming his condition. Every second of delay could lead to further chaos.
Yet that uncontrollable fear and resistance to facing Raymond loomed over him like a shadow. He did not want to imagine that moment arriving; he did not want to admit that he might truly need to shoot him.
Jonas's footsteps echoed in the dark cave, each step striking like a hammer deep within his heart. His breathing grew rapid, his legs trembling under tension and pressure. Every thought urged him to find Raymond and confirm that he was still the brother he knew. But in some corner of his heart, another possibility began to take root—if Raymond had indeed become an infected monster, then he would have no choice but to make that hardest decision.
This thought tormented Jonas immensely; it felt as if every breath was being choked from him. But he could not stop or escape. In his mind's eye, Isabella's final image before Hatch closed surfaced unbidden. Her determination, her fearlessness, and her resolute gaze pierced through him like a beam of light. Isabella sacrificed herself for the truth, unafraid of death, choosing to dedicate herself to this fight. She had made her choice.
Jonas knew he had to make this decision. Raymond, the brother who had saved him countless times, might no longer be the person he once knew.
"I have to survive," Jonas whispered to himself, the last belief he could cling to.
As he ran, he quickly reached for his rifle. The bullet was chambered, and the cold, solid feel of the metal brought him a slight sense of calm. His fingers brushed lightly over the trigger, ready at any moment. The weapon was not just a tool; it was his only means of fighting against this terrifying world. With the gun in hand, he felt a flicker of control.
"Raymond..." Jonas gritted his teeth, unwilling to let his thoughts wander further. This decision was likely one of the hardest he would ever face, but he could no longer hesitate. Everything had surpassed human comprehension, and the only way to continue this fight was for him to survive, to return to the real world with the data that Isabella and Mocus had sacrificed for.
It was his responsibility, his mission.
Jonas's steps were no longer hesitant. Though the pain in his heart could not be erased, that resolve felt like an invisible chain binding him firmly to reality. He had to complete this mission, no matter what it meant—even if it meant facing his once closest comrade without flinching.
His heartbeat quickened in sync with his footsteps, the weight of the rifle reminding him when it would be time to pull the trigger. Everything ahead may have spiraled out of control, but the one thing that must not falter was himself.
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