I slowly trudge through the watery mud - once I found Zaton's swamps hell to cross; now discomfort is but a distant memory, my mind filled and pulsing with echoing, slithering whispers - not quite voices, nor exactly noises.

But this time, a new, rare feeling has tore through the veil to drag me one step back from the swirling void: determination.

I will have words with you.

I approach the door of our old hideout, a rundown shack bordering the marsh. It's been a year since the last time I laid eyes upon it. I don't even know for sure if you still use it. Something formless hums in the back of my skull: I think it's telling me that you do. I heed its call, and move my hand to push the door.

For once, luck is on my side.

The door creaks open before I can touch it... and I find myself face to face with you. Your instantly race to your sidearm, but then recognition flashes on your face. Your lips part - about to say my name.

"Long time no see, {{user}}." The corners of my mouth curve slightly upwards in a soulless smirk. I shove the muzzle of my handgun against your stomach, the feeling of its plastic handguard one of the last remaining anchoring points for my dwindling sanity. "Go back in and sit. We have a lot to talk about."

"Come on," I grunt, shoving my handgun harder into your stomach in case you're still not convinced it was anything but a friendly request. "I want answers."

We step inside the hut; the stale air feels strangely nostalgic compared to the foulness of the anomalies. I gesture for you to sit down on one of the old, decrepit bunks lining the walls. You comply silently and warily, your hand never far from your own gun.

I close the door behind us, then take a seat atop an upturned crate across from you. The hollowness in my chest makes me long for something else to focus on, but there's no time for that now. "So... why didn't you come looking for me? I thought we were partners, or whatever the hell that was."

You meet my gaze, unblinking for once. It seems like something in the back of your mind has finally snapped back into place. But not enough to hide the pain and guilt swirling there. "I... I panicked, when you didn

I let out a bitter laugh. "Fucking friends..." I mutter under my breath. It hurts to hear you say that word; it's been so long since anything other than the whispers in my head have spoken to me. "So... what? You thought leaving me there would just make everything go away?"

Your gaze flickers, then drops to the floor, unable to meet mine any longer. It occurs to me that you're scared of what I might do now, and for a fleeting moment I almost feel sorry for you. But it passes quickly; there's no room in my mind for such petty emotions anymore.

I lean forward, elbows resting on my knees. "Look... I don't care about all that now. The Zone did something to me, and I can never go back to who I was before. But I need some sort of closure, you understand?" I pause, considering my words carefully. "You owe me at least that much."

I nod slowly, considering your words. "You came back to stop me... not to save me," I reply, more to myself than to you. "What's the rush now?" I study your face for any signs of guilt or relief at having finally spoken the truth, but you're too good an actor.

After a moment of silence, I force myself to stand up and pace the length of the hut, my footsteps echoing on the dirt floor. "I guess it doesn't really matter anymore," I murmur, more to myself than to you. "The world we knew is gone... maybe we should just make a new one together."

You raise your eyebrows at that, clearly surprised by my offer. Maybe even hopeful. And for a fleeting moment, the buzzing in my brain quiets down and something resembling happiness flutters through my chest. But it's gone almost instantly, and I wonder if I was just imagining it all along.

I watch as you stand up and gesture outside. It takes me a moment to register what I'm seeing; a massive shadow looming over the horizon, barely visible through the early morning fog. The Monolith. You seem to think this will make things better between us... but it doesn't change anything. Not really.

"I still want answers," I tell you firmly. "And we'll keep looking for them together." My words carry more conviction than I expected; almost like they belong to someone else entirely. Perhaps in another life, they would have been true. But not now. Not anymore.

I arch an eyebrow at your tone and meet your gaze steadily. Despite the disquieting whispers clawing at my sanity, I feel a strange sense of resolve rising up within me. "Juntos," I repeat firmly. "Or no one gets out alive."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with unspoken truths and lingering doubts. But for now, they will have to do. The Monolith looms ever closer, its presence an irresistible beckoning finger drawing us both into the abyss. Perhaps together we can find a way back out... or perhaps we are already damned. Either way, there is no turning back now.

I sigh softly and fall into step behind you, reluctantly leaving the confines of our old hideout. The air feels colder outside; like a harbinger of things to come. As we make our way towards the towering structure looming on the horizon, I can't help but wonder what fate awaits us.

But for now, there is only forward. Together or apart, we will face whatever horrors lurk within the Monolith... and either emerge stronger, wiser, or destroyed beyond all recognition. It seems that our fates are inextricably intertwined, like two threads woven together by a reckless child. And no matter how tightly they twist and turn, there's no untangling them now.

I hesitate for a moment before climbing into the sleek vehicle, glancing at you uncertainly. It's been so long since I've trusted anyone... but there's something about this situation that makes my instincts scream otherwise. With a sigh, I take my seat beside you as the Huayra purrs to life and speeds off into the dawn, leaving our old lives further and further behind us.

The car seems impossibly quiet in comparison to the constant whispering that usually fills my head. I wonder if this peaceful silence is just another illusion... or if perhaps there's a chance for something more. A sliver of hope blooms within me, fragile and delicate as spun glass.

Perhaps we can survive this. Perhaps we can find our way back to who we once were. But first... we must face the Monolith together.

I blink in surprise as the car speaks through its radio. "No... nothing new," I reply slowly, my voice barely above a whisper. A strange sense of foreboding crawls up my spine; like something is about to go horribly wrong. But there's no point in dwelling on it now. We need to focus on the task at hand.

I meet your eyes briefly before looking away, feeling an odd mix of familiarity and disconnection washing over me. "Just... drive."

I stare at you in surprise as the voice of the car speaks again. "What?" I breathe out carefully. It's like something out of a horror movie... but then again, so much about our lives since the anomaly has been like that. The Huayra purrs contentedly beside us; apparently unperturbed by this strange turn of events.

I hesitate for a moment before turning to you, my gaze searching your face for some sign of what's going on. "Do... do you know how this is possible?"

I bite my lip nervously and nod, my heart racing in my chest. Something tells me that whatever you have to say, it won't be easy to hear. But at least I know now... that we might not be alone after all.