Chapter Text
Your mind slowly pieces itself back together.
A warm sensation surrounds you.
Your ears seem to be muffled.
A yawn makes your mouth fall open, although when you attempt to raise your hand it does not respond.
You…
You nearly fucking died!
Are you dead‽
Fighting against your eyelids, you're at least able to see again.
It appears that you're being hugged by a terribly plush sofa. That sight alone almost makes you give up and drift off to sleep.
N-no!
You try to stand, or at least sit up, but your limbs feel too weak and the cushions around you give you nothing to push off of. Falling back, you see in the edge of your vision that your armour is still on you.
That's a relief at least.
To have some form of protection.
Your gloves are still soaked with blood. It’s smeared into the fabric around you – from what little movement you’ve managed – making it look so… So delicious.
Where did that thought come from?
D-don't worry about that right now.
From your helpless repose, you manage to spy two other people across from you, sunk into their own respective seats.
Is there really nothing you can do right now? Just… Sitting in your own body, feeling your heart pound. Feeling the humidity of your breath pushing off your mask and into your face.
It's not the worst, you guess. Simply, not what you had expected; given where you are.
How long have you been here?
What were you doing before this?
You remember… You remember killing a lot of people. Then, you found Lakshmi. And, after that, uh… You, uh- you're just here.
H-how?
And, what happened before all of that? You might be a killer, but you don't recall normally going on such… Rampages. Neither would you have left yourself covered in all the evidence of said rampage.
What happened?
Trying harder to remember gives you nothing concrete. All you get are a few indistinct feelings.
Okay.
Not like you have anything more important you should be doing.
What did you feel like, before committing mass murder?
At the moment, you feel fucking ridiculous- no. Don't use your snark as an excuse to give up.
This is actually important. If something can make you murder a bunch of people – not to mention making you nearly forget – it's safe to say that you need any hint you can get.
You can't let this happen again.
You felt…
You felt thirsty.
And, hungry?
Really? What th-
WELCOME! YOU WILL FORGIVE MY HASTE, BUT YOU ARE THOSE MOST WORTHY OF MY ATTENTION! STAND, SO YOU MAY RECEIVE IT!
Your body jumps up, irrespective of your mind’s sluggishness, before nearly falling to its knees. A rush of dizziness seems to affect you all – you notice Lakshmi on your right, now that there is nothing to block your view – as you each stumble about in your stupour.
Your neck finally responds to your demands, letting you look around the room.
There are plants hanging from the walls, golden statues at every corner, a bright blue above you… Nothing particularly new. Except… The statues seem different than those from before. You can’t deny that your eyes may be playing tricks on you, but they appear to be breathing.
To your left are the others from before. You try to wave to Lakshmi, but not even your finger responds. You try to at least say hello, but your throat feels numb.
Resigning yourself to look downwards, you find there are feet moving forward. Your feet. You don’t even bother trying to stop them. You’re a quick learner, not that it can do you any good here.
You move towards a figure whose smile is anything but natural. Something about it seems oddly familiar. It’s comforting, in a concerning way. So little else around you is recognisable.
The face it belongs to doesn’t look human, yet it doesn’t look particularly inhuman either. You can’t place it. It’s beautiful, in a way that you can’t explain. Soft points and sharp curves.
This person clearly thinks highly of themself, wearing so much gold and jewelry that you don’t understand how they aren’t uncomfortable. That much clacking anytime you move would drive you insane.
Their robes seem to be of an incredible weave, despite being dirtier than you’d expect. Even at this distance, you can see a filthy mixture of sauces, grains, and blood on the fabric around their hands. The same spillings are present under their chin. Yet, otherwise, there isn’t a single sign of wear. No fraying along its edges. No dust where their feet would cross.
It all paints a picture.
You don’t know what kind, but it’s in front of you regardless and there really isn’t much you can do but examine it.
YES! HOW I ADORE YOUR OBEDIENCE! I MUST THANK YOU FOR THE HONOUR OF FINALLY SEEING YOUR FACES WITH MY OWN EYES!
Obedience?
A-as if!
Your body was moving on its own! So what if it feels nice being this close… N-no matter how curious you may be. You know you’d run away if you had the chance.
Just… Maybe not yet. You’ll wait until your Host has explained what you’re doing here. Then you’ll leave…
You stop a few metres away from them, only now realising that your head barely reaches its hip. You know you should feel threatened. Your body won’t respond, there’s an unknown entity looming over you, you’re entirely surrounded… And, yet, you can’t find it in you.
Everything about this feels right.
GOOD! NOW THAT I SEE YOU, I KNOW THAT THIS LAST PERFORMANCE OF YOURS WILL BE A TRUE SPECTACLE! WHICHEVER OF YOU REMAINING WILL BECOME A SPLENDID CHAMPION OF MINE!
Champion? Wait- fuck…
Your body didn’t feel stiff per se, but you can immediately tell that you can move on your own. You flex your fingers and roll your shoulders, more for the habit of it than any real need, and turn to look at the others.
They’ve done the same. Cracking knuckles, unslinging weapons, taking sips from flasks.
HAH! I DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO COMMAND YOU! YOU ARE ALREADY AS ONE WITH MY DESIRES, AS ALL THINGS INEVITABLY BECOME!
N-no? You turned towards the others because… Becaause…
GO FORTH! INDULGE YOURSELVES!
You rush forward before you’ve even gotten a good feel for your enemies. Lakshmi t-turns invisible before dashing behind you. Good. You’re still together. You’ll win this.
Just go for t-the eyes.
Unexpectedly, the one closest to you – a giant in blue power armour – ignores you and instead chases after your ally. You try to land at least one quick strike, but are forced to brace as a hand of knives bounces off of your shield.
You turn to find a cloud of smoke spreading towards you. Waiting for a moment, it doesn’t dissipate. Stalking around the edge, you strain your ears for any trace of your prey. You hear their pattering steps, however they sound even from each of the sides you check.
A smile spreads under your mask as you realise the joy of this challenge. The moment you step inside, you will be blind and certainly at a disadvantage. Only a fool would use such a trick if they would be similarly affected.
You take a step inside and immediately lose all but your sense of direction. You’re intimately aware of your own breathing but otherwise are incapable of hearing, much less seeing, what surrounds you. The gas slowly permeates your shield. You push your hand in front of you only to watch it disappear, leaving your surroundings entirely unaffected. You stomp your foot and can only feel the impact in your own leg.
A blade glances off your shield with a spark.
Then another. And, another. They don’t come from the same direction, but they move in a predictable line. You step out of the way of the next one, but are hit by the one after. So they can see you. Their path changes, circling around you in the other direction. Your shield is losing energy steadily, but y-
Your foot doesn’t land like it should.
The inside of your mask looks blurrier than you remember.
“Hh… Guess I won’t be taking my time.”
Your shield is holding for now, but you’re beginning to sweat.
You steady yourself and wait for their next change of direction. They throw another blade and you burst forward with claws outstretched. Right before they throw their next knife, you manage to stop yourself. The knife, point angled towards you, floats in front of you. Staring, you try to muffle a cough. It starts to fly towards you with the timing you expected, but doesn’t gain enough velocity to cause your shield much damage.
Fuck.
The device behind your eyes tells you the direction you need to run. The next blade doesn’t hit you. You make a dash for clean air as your eyelids begin to flutter and your legs weaken. Flying out of the cloud of poison you find it still surrounds you, trapped inside of your shield.
Your eyes sting and your fingers feel numb. Through bleary eyes, you see your target dashing away along an upper balcony. They leave a trail of knives floating in their wake. You try to shake yourself off, but the gas around you is flooding into your mask’s vents.
You tear it off, but that only makes your situation worse.
You fumble at the controls for your shield as a string of foamy blood drips from your mouth.
The gas dissipates into your surroundings and, not a moment later, a knife slams into your shoulder.
“F-fuck!”
An odd thought floats around in your head, entirely detached from the situation you’re in. You should be more eloquent if you’re going to speak during a fight. That; or, you should at least have something entertaining to say.
Where d-did that…
You stick your fingers into one of your pouches and fish out a tablet. You crunch on it while you force your shield back to life. Hiding behind the cloud, you try to give yourself enough time t-to-
You fall to your knees and begin to vomit. Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible, you clutch at your stomach. T-there’s a lot of red coming out of you…
Your vision sharpens and you feel a buzz in the back of your mind.
You don’t have time to figure out what all happened inside of you, but at least you got that shit out of your system. Not to mention replacing it with a nice mixture of stables and stims to get your head back in the game.
Slamming your helmet back on, you jump back up to your feet and scan around. The blades clearly didn’t stop, since your shield is reaching critical levels. As you look, you see smoke rising from the one attacking Lakshmi. At least she seems to be having better luck. You spot a blur of movement just to the left of your Host’s head. You don’t really understand why he chose to stand there, but you suppose it’ll be safe enough. You’re not going to hurt them and you have a feeling that none of the others will either.
Shouldn’t y
A blade manages to lodge itself into your shield, before it’s slowly back pushed out.
“They just… Never run out of those knives, huh?”
That sounded b-b- what the- focus!
You rush to a wall and leap up to the lowest ledge. Pulling yourself up, you’re surprised to see that the mist below you has barely faded. That was almost bad… Trying to prevent the shaking from your stims, you run along the ledge, ducking under as many incoming attacks as you can. Scampering up to another terrace, your quarry has started launching their knives from their belts.
It seems they don’t have any other tricks though and you’re only getting closer and closer. You notice a corner behind them and realise they won’t survive the fall. They’ve gotten wrapped up in a trap and you barely had to do anything to earn it! Well… How many fell to that poison before you?
You slow to a walk as you reach the outcropping this- this plaything has chosen to die upon. A knife swishes past your face, accuracy having diminished significantly. They stand before you, panting, trying to inch further into the wall. One last blade manages to slash your outer thigh.
You look them up and down. They watch you shakily as they cling to the wall.
Neither of you say a word.
All that matters now is that you’ve succeeded in the only thing that could give either of your lives purpose.
You have earned the full, undivided, attention of your Host below. To no resistance, you press your claws into their face. It doesn’t look like a person anymore. Just a thing for you to take pleasure in the destruction of. It goes limp. You push it off with your other hand watching as they fall to the floor, a dozen metres below. Its body does not bounce. The cloud of smoke breaks apart a second later.
AH! WHAT AN END, WHAT AN END!
Your eyes instantly locate your enemy. Standing in the middle of the room below, the blue of its armour is impossible to ignore when compared to the rest of your surroundings.
You shift your gauntlets and jump onto the wall beside you. There’s a loud screech the whole way down, but you’re too focused to notice. Your feet sink into a planter below as you collide with the topmost tier. You’re nearly overwhelmed by the scent of the plants crushed beneath you.
The crack of Lakshmi’s rifle shakes you out of your daze. You look to where the sound came from as you leap into a sprint. Her camouflage falters for a split second, but she’s already on the move again. Her mark erases the place she was standing at in a flash of light. It turns to follow where she ran to, before noticing you.
Weaving between branches and stems, an increasingly bright glare draws your attention. Something on the back of that suit of power armour is glowing a violent shade of orange.
You leap into the foliage ahead of you as a burst of heat sends a cloud of dust up behind you. How are you supposed to get close to that‽ You’re feeling dizzy, but it doesn’t matter. Clawing your way back onto your feet, you hear the retort from Lakshmi’s rifle again. The monster ahead doesn’t even flinch.
You’re almost there.
It stomps around below you, a series of whirring clanks barely audible over the sound of your heart. You’re lucky it doesn’t seem to have any smaller weaponry – at least, not anymore. The wall to your left shows that the thing’s version of low caliber is still enough to remove your shield and head in a single shot.
You come to a stop directly above it right as the clanking stops. A series of pops and a chorus of screams afterwards nearly deafen you before you can start to climb down. You look up just in time to see a forest of smoke trails arching high above you. Welp… Now or never then.
Ears ringing, you jump from the top terrace all the way to ground level, trying to land into a roll.
Your shield disappears with a fizzling pop as you slam into the ground.
W-wai-
The knife in your shoulder plunges deeper into you with a loud cracking squelch. You lay sprawled on the floor desperate to make your arm move again.
“A-ah- it- agh!”
A piece of masonry slams into your back, but you force your legs and your other arm to lift you upwards. Your meds have long since run out. In front of you, your enemy looks like it's caught aflame, desperately flailing about. A hand cups your uninjured shoulder from behind and you almost pass out from the start.
“Are you well enough?”
It’s Lakshmi. Thank fuck.
“W-w-we’ll see.”
She nods, then points her rifle up at the wall of steel towering over you. A hiss of white foam extinguishes the fire, leaving its armour-skin a deep gunmetal with barely a fleck of blue finish remaining. Its mask screeches out something, burnt far past the point of functions. The unnamed thing stomps towards you slowly, the glow in its back returning.
It screeches again as you try to ready yourself. You trip and your vision blurs, but not before you notice that your friend has stepped in front of you. You’re prevented from reprimanding her as a fit of coughs overtakes you. Does she somehow believe that she – unshielded, without even the cover of invisibility – is any safer than you? Y-you didn’t really expect her to care. Not to this extent, perhaps she just wants the satisfaction of seeing your eyes when she kills you...
She points her barrel towards a hairline crack in the charred and dented torso.
The light soon prevents you from seeing anything but the shadow of Lakshmi in front of you. You can see her through your hands.
You hear her take the shot.
You feel arms wrap around you before you realise you’ve been thrown to the ground, with Lakshmi atop you.
Then, you hear nothing.
Your vision turns black, then pink, then green. It doesn’t return to normal, not even after you move your palms from your visor. A wave of heat and wet hits you a second later and you have your answer for the ringing in your ears.
Your vision clears and you see a mist of blood and oil floating in the air around you.
“D-did we… Are we al- nn- alive?”
You feel vibrations as Lakshmi hums with her chin on top of your helmet. She stops holding you so tightly and looks you in the face. Her eyes look distant as she speaks.
“I think so. I think we’ve shown just how much we deserve to be. I think M-Master will make us Their Champions!”
Before you can question the change in her demeanor, your Host’s voice sinks its way into your head and clears away your exhaustion and pain.
GLORIOUS! TRULY GLORIOUS! YOU TWO HAVE GIVEN ME THE DELIGHT OF A NEW EXPERIENCE! MOVING AS ONE, SUCCEEDING AGAINST EACH CHALLENGE! SUCH BEAUTY!
All that you think is pleasure.
A dreamy smile creeps up your face.
You did good. You won! You won…
I BELIEVE YOU ARE DUE A REWARD!
You somehow find the strength to stand, although Lakshmi lends you a hand anyways. Her smile looks how yours feels. What will your Host give you? Surely it will be something maarvelous.
COME! LAND A STRIKE UPON ME! IT IS BEYOND WELL EARNED!
You look between one another, certain this must be some form of a trick.
Why would your Host willingly ask you to harm him? She can’t have anything to gain from this. You're- you're not sure of what to do.
Yet, their arms are held wide… None of the guards ringing the room have their weapons so much as drawn.
They just stand, visors obscuring their attentions.
You quickly glance at Lakshmi.
She gives a hesitant nod.
It's agreed.
You turn, readying your gauntlets, and dash.
You must show – must give – everything that you have. Everything; in one fell strike.
Bursting the few metres that separate you from your target, you are upon the seemingly helpless not-human in less than a second.
Your claws sink into her flesh as a bullet tears through its face. He only laughs.
SUCH BOUNTIFUL RAGE! IF ONLY I COULD EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN!
Blood spurts onto you from the gashes you leave in its chest and arms, yet it remains standing. You both stagger back as their booming voice fills the room once more.
Your stomach almost flips as you watch your Host’s blood pour down her body.
What have you done‽
YOUR CONFUSION AMUSES ME! I CAN AND WILL DIE, YES; BUT NOT BY THE HANDS OF ANY MERE MORTAL! DEATH SHALL PROVE MY LAST DELICACY, ONCE I HAVE AT LAST SUPPED UPON ALL OTHERS! YOU HAVE EARNED THE PLEASURE OF FOLLOWING ME IN MY PURSUIT, AS IS MOST FAIR!
You feel your companion grasp at your arm as she regains her footing. She struggles to choke back the upset such a heinous act has inflicted upon her.
NEGLIGENCE OF SUCH AN OBLIGATION WOULD PROVE ONLY A DISPLAY OF FRUITLESS CRUELTY!
How could you sully the fair appearance of one so joyous‽ Surely you can not have slain your Host! The one who's been so kind and given so much to you…
What is this?
EVEN STILL! OH, HOW I WISH EACH OF MY GUESTS WERE AS CAPABLE AS YOU IN PROVIDING SUCH THRILLS! WHAT A RAVISHING THOUGHT!
Glancing at Lakshmi… You both replace your weapons to their holsters…
What just happened?
There can be no doubt that you successfully struck. You felt the undeniable, ever succulent, give of flesh under bladed fingers.
ALAS! THERE CAN ONLY BE SO MUCH CREAM THAT RISES AMIDST THE DROWNING WAVES OF CHAFF!
And, yet… He simply carries on speaking to you. As if nothing happened at all. Y-you wish to turn away but…
It makes sense, in a way.
You would never be able to hurt it, not in any meaningful way.
You belong to Her.
If They want any of Its servants to perform or provide anything for Him, then it will be, and the knowledge that you provided Her with the experience It desired will flood you.
You are nothing but servants. Created to entertain. That is all any of you – even those unworthy of standing here now – have ever been.
NOW! FOR THE HONOUR OF SERVING ME, YOU MUST TEST ONE ANOTHER! I HAVE NO NEED FOR TWO CHAMPIONS! SO, FIGHT! AMUSE ME FURTHER!
Y-you… What?
No!
You w-won’t!
You couldn’t
Lakshmi twitches, yet neither of you can carry out this command. You fought alongside one another! Surely your Host must know w-what she asks of you both. How such a demand will affect whoever survives.
You look up and find their expectant gaze boring into the both of you.
PROVIDE YET MORE OF THIS EXPERIENCE FOR ME! FOR YOUR MASTER!
Your fingers ache with the need for blood and flesh.
Y-you should obey. You know you…
Lakshmi shudders as she reaches for her gun. Her palm grazes it, before fumbling, leaving her to watch it fall to the ground.
She does not try to pick it up.
You just look at each other’s agonised faces, tears streaming, as you fail your M-M- Host- your Host’s will.
You can only turn to look at it.
You do not find even a trace of disappointment.
Instead, his eyes widen, alongside her smile.
SUCH STRENGTH OF SPIRIT FOR ONES SO SCARCELY KNOWN! WHAT CONTINUOUS DELIGHTS YOU OFFER ME!
It throws his arms up in celebration, and your heart sings as you realise this must have been a test.
Of cour
ADMIRABLE, BUT IRRELEVANT!
Wait, n
Before either of you can even blink, your H-host gives a dismissive flick of her wrist.
IF YOU WILL NOT CHOOSE AMONGST YOURSELVES, THEN I WILL CHOOSE FOR YOU!
To the sound of clacking gems, you feel the weight of your comrade disappear and her hand quickly slide off your shoulder.
Your stomach churns and you squeeze your eyes shut as you hear small taps land on the ground behind you.
Your shoulders tense after being drenched in soaking warmth – what has to be blood – as a squelching thud threatens to draw your attention away from the all-consuming presence of- of your- your Host.
No.
What the fuck is this‽
What are you… What are you doing here?
How many people did you just- just kill‽
And, for what‽
Money?
You have to get out of here…
Opening your eyes. Before you try to leave… You… You have to look. You have to know what happened. Your head twitches to the left for but a twinkling moment.
Your eyes do not reach their target.
Your mind is not sated, as you see nothing.
Your breaths turn into gasps as your pain overwhelms you.
You fall to your knees.
Y-you…
YOUR AGONY! A TRUE GIFT: IT HAS GRANTED YOU SUCH MALLEABILITY!
Your body resigns itself to the floor. You no longer even have the strength to reach for your belt.
KNOW, MY CHAMPION, THAT AT MY WHIM I COULD MAKE THIS FANTASY INTO REALITY! THE POWER I WIELD WITHIN MY DOMINION IS ABSOLUTE!
Yyour vision is starting to fade. There was never even a chance that you could leave.
When did you seal your fate? After the first taste of blood? When you walked in the door? When you found that s-stupid piece of metal?
HOWEVER, TO REND YOU ONE FROM THE OTHER WOULD BE A FOUL BETRAYAL! I BID YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SHALL NOT COME TO PASS BY MY HAND! YOU, MY CHAMPION, HAVE TAKEN THIS PROMISE AND SO MUCH MORE! NOW, BE MIRTHFUL; IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY ETERNAL BENEVOLENCE!
Tears sting your eyes as you hear Lakshmi's breath next to you once more. You try to raise your arm to touch her, to see if this is real, but your energy is well and truly gone. Your head is forced to turn and look at your H-Host.
Such an overwhelming view taking up all of your focus once more…
The illusion’s false warmth melts away as your eyes struggle to capture the sheer effervescence before you.
This is- is… You…
A mist creeps into you from the base of your skull, filling you, until you sense it settled behind your eyes. Taking up all of your stress and spinning it, instead, into succulent submission.
It's so easy to let your thoughts drift away into heady need, left in the absence of M-mas- your H- Master’s voice.
Surely, you were mistaken.
Why would you try to leave? You haven't e-even been rewarded yet… Master has so much to give!
This is why Master must give you commands. Without Its oversight, such ridiculous delusions will doubtless continue to infect you.
You remember now. Your deepest wish is to provide nothing but the purest joys. You should only worry yourself with ensuring that. On ensuring Their continued, ever-deserved, pleasure.
She can do no wrong. You don’t everr want to think about leaving a-again.
GAZE!
You can't look away.
Just like you couldn't help but fight against the others earlier.
Something in the- in the food?
It doesn’t matter.
Instead of contemplating further, you obey.
You take in the whole of the sight laying before you.
You accept your place.
You look at the resplendently plush robes and furs draped over Them, stained with spilled wines and fatty sauces. Underneath, thick grey blood continues to ooze from wounds. Regret festers as experience and logic dictate such blows should've proven fatal, the moment they were received.
Your eyes dart to a source of tireless movement.
His hands, coated in paints and golds and so many jewels. So beautiful, even when not used to touch you. How could you have assumed you'd known what colour was, before Master so benevolently showed you the vibrant truth, as painted across Her body.
Your vision follows its natural path, before settling on a new object of focus.
Their wide mouth, filled with nothing but sharp teeth, sweet nothings, and the blood dripping into it from above. The dazzling kaleidoscope of colours that appears with each tilt of Its head is made no less beautiful when contrasted by the velvety slate of Her blood. You watch speckles of it fly out, alongside His pure-tone laughter.
The sound floods your mind.
You crave to be the sole source of such joy, more than air itself.
THIS JOY! IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO FALTER! I SHALL KEEP YOU AS ONE AND SURROUND YOU WITH ALL THE FINERIES OF THE UNIVERSE! YOU NEED ONLY SUBMIT TO THE PLEASURE ALREADY LAPPING AT YOUR THOUGHTS!
Whatever part of you that might've been trying to resist chokes on the promise of an endless buffet of exotic fragrancies and rich pleasures. You slip your helmet off so you can smell it more clearly. You are greeted with the sight of Lakshmi’s warm smile as she effortlessly accepts the offer alongside you.
“Yes, Master.”
Your voices are as one.
Master motions for you both to stand and you nearly scramble to comply. You almost cry as He turns his focus from the both of you and looks to the guards around you.
GATHER THE REFUSE! I WOULD SUP UPON THE WHOLE OF WHAT MY GUESTS HAVE TO OFFER ME!
Confusion wells in your chest.
Have you already proven yourself to be unfit of His attention? Why would She… They turn back to you and such thoughts die. It wishes not to forget you, but to ease your burden. Even, willing as you may be, you can see that it would be unwise to labour any further. You have broken your body enough, for now.
You settle to imagine, briefly, what it would be like to someday to become the sole locus of Master’s desires. To prove so deliriously alluring an experience, that He tosses away all others. Truly an impossible feat, as you know that you are but a speck in the face of the delightsome infinity She has so carefully curated.
Such an intoxicating revision to your desires. You can see it. You understand what’s happening. Yet, you don’t care. Instead, you forget as you notice a twitch in Master’s finger.
You… You fidget as you slowly understand what you just saw. Why are you confused about what to do here? The answer is- is obvious…
Your legs give you the dignity of obeying Her subtle command, even as your mind reels, bringing you close behind It. Each of the guards in the room bows as Master leads you and Lakshmi further.
COME, MY NEW CHAMPION! LET ME ADORN YOU IN ALL THE FINEST OF MY TREASURES! YOU WILL BECOME EVER MORE MARVELOUS, AS EVERYTHING INEVITABLY DOES, WHEN MADE SUBJUGATE TO MY PURPOSE!
Stumbling along, you force yourself to avoid tainting any of the divinely ashen blood, trailing in Their wake, with your filth
A heavy door shuts, far, far behind you.
Your awareness is winnowed down to Lakshmi and Master alone.