Continued from here. Darkness swallowed the swordsman as the cold enveloped him in its turgid embrace. Every bubble of air that bled away from his lungs sheared a leaf from his health bar, but the hybrid consciousness of player and character seemed unable to react. As he drifted further toward the abyss, its low voice bellowed in his mind. Do you remember? Kijin found himself bewildered. The question was simple, yet the scope magnanimous. Within Terrasphere, there were only so many things he could possibly recall. This voice, this ephemeral voice however, it called to him in lilting tones. It was the same seductive wordplay that helped him to stay alive. Do you remember what it is to be afraid? His eyes burst open. Through the murky water, he could just make out traces of sunlight that filtered down through the surface. With each moment, they grew further away and retreated from sight. Kijin reached out, but there was no hand to reach back for his. Do you understand what it is to die? He tried to breathe, but succeeded only in drowning. Water flooded his lungs. His eyes rolled backward as he hacked, violently expelling the liquid in a vicious cycle. It ended, once more, in darkness.
