*After an unknown amount of time*
*Scape and Horikoshi remain trapped in the building as the strange phenomenon persists.
Scape: "How long have you been here...the HQ sent me here claiming no one else was with me on this"
*Horikoshi lets out a tired, breathless laugh...he lights another cigar and rubs the back of his neck as he looks at the spot where the child has just been*
Horikoshi":...yeah...that's what they usually do...they don't send any rescue teams or any of the fancy crap normal citizens get...hunters like us are usually the last to enter these places...and if we stayed for too long...they don't bother looking for us...they just send another...and another."
Scape: "They assume you guys are...already dead...and they sent me here...knowing the last guy didn't make it, huh?..."
*Horikoshi spreads his arms in mock invitation and a smile that doesn't fill his face*
Horikoshi:...welcome to the profession...ha...word of advice, don't over-welcome your stay"
*he says as a smoke cloud leaves his lungs...I remain quiet for a few seconds*
*Horikoshi continues with the same smirk*: "But let's be real...this isn't the type of job a normal person would want...what drives us is different... that's why people like us remain in a place like this...stuck...utterly STUCK..."
*he kicks a door as the hinges create squeaking sounds before it recoils back to its position...the door making a screeching sound*
*Horikoshi says as he takes a few steps to look over the third-floor fence near the stairs*
scape: "I just want this mission to be over"
Horikoshi: "I would have bothered knowing your name...but you are right, let's keep moving...staying in one place won't help us deal with our horrible life"
*As he and Scape walk through the corridor...he looks over to me, and for a few seconds before digging another puff, he throws the cigar and speaks*
Horikoshi: "But I will ask you...your reason for being here...in this place"
*As he said that, a scream came down from the corridor... Scape's head turns to the direction of the sound...but before he makes a move, Horikoshi places his hand on his shoulder as he shakes his head*
Scape: "I thought we were supposed to help"
*Horikoshi gives me a sympathetic look as his eyes almost water, but quickly looks towards the direction of the sound*
Horikoshi: "You think we haven't tried?... Why do you think we are stuck here?
* Horikoshi goes quiet before looking at Scape and continues*
"Before saving others... did you account for saving yourself first?"
Horikoshi lets go of my shoulder before taking a step back while looking directly into my eyes: "Listen...god knows how long I have been in this place...the sun never rises inside the building...clocks don't tick...and the people WON'T DIE...you are the only person that's normal here...if something happened to one of us...it wont be long till they send another person to get trapped again..."
scape: "So it's up to us?... How can we do this?"
*Horikoshi nods before answering my question by raising one finger*: "One chance...we have one chance at this...and if this goes wrong...I have no guarantee we might get another..."
Scape: "I am listening..."
Horikoshi nods with a small smirk of approval: Good...slow is how you survive in this....follow me...and don't wander...because I doubt I will be able to reach you..."
Scape: "Don't worry about me...you still haven't told me the next step..."
*Horikoshi gestures for me to stop by extending a hand in front of me; he looks at the ceiling, then at the windows, and shakes his head*
Horikoshi: Not this way... *he turns to take another hallway*
* Scape takes a look and then gets confused at the sudden hesitation*
Scape: It looks...quite normal? Why not this way?
*Horikoshi says, as he walks in the opposite direction from the stairs* Don't go that way...it won't lead anywhere...
*As Scape looks at the hallway...he notices the sudden twitches in the shadows of corners...the flickering lights...the windows that lead to no pavement under... the staircase that was supposed to be there...it felt wrong...despite looking normal...he turns to follow Horikoshi*
Scape: You mentioned a singular chance to get out of here...I am more interested in that...
*we walk together the hallways as I follow him without thought*
Horikoshi:...first day on the job?...most people should know what I am talking about... It's not the only chance... It's the main mission...
Scape: first day on the job... not the first time with abstracts...*I murmur with a low detached voice as I look around us... We enter a main hall as a sudden banging on an elevator somewhere in the building... however, the loud reverberating sound makes it seem as if it's right next to our ears...we hear footsteps around us, yet nobody seems to be running... the place seems to echo noises that don't fit the moment*
Scape:...however...I haven't seen anything like this...on such a large scale, too.
Horikoshi:...interesting...
* Scape turns his head to look at him*
Scape:...interesting, what exactly?...
*Horikoshi lifts a finger*: yesterday... it was two female voices and a child...now it's a man..
Scape:.. and what does that mean exactly...
Horikoshi:...we escaped the last loop...
* Scape looks around and looks back at him*
Scape:...seems the same to me...
Horikoshi:... yes... because this is what normal looks like...
Scape:...I get it...but...doesn't this mean we are further away from the abstract...
Horikoshi:...it already found us...
*Horikoshi abruptly stops as he turns to face me*: "...you really have never been through this before, haven't you?...let me explain...the abstract loops what it already caught...the people were already scared... confused and trying to flee... however, that's exactly why they are stuck... imagine the same frame over and over...without a change in the scenario...which means this abstracts...doesn't like individuals whom know how to break the cycle...I am not sure how...but avoiding all those suspicious hallways was probably a great idea... at least that's what I think it is"...
*Horikoshi takes a deep breath*:..Like I said...our only chances to get out would be to neutralise the abstract by the weapons given to us by the company...
*Scape leans against the wall*: "We are running away, Horikoshi...we aren't making any true progress..."
*Horikoshi sighs*: "Listen, I want this mission to be over as much as you do... but butting heads with this thing...is exactly how it gets you... let's rest here a little where we know it's safe"
* Scape and Horikoshi sit beside each other as the quiet stretches*
Horikoshi:..." four years"
*Horikoshi leans his head against the wall he is sitting in front of*
"Four years in this profession... and for some reason I keep going"
Scape: "..."
Horikoshi: "Hey...don't go quiet on me... let's at least know something about each other...how else are we going to remember?" *he lights a cigarette*
Scape: "Hard questions...never thought I would have to answer them...but four years is difficult...and in a profession like this?... I think your actual life might be worse than this..."
*Horikoshi laughs before taking another puff*: "Well said... we aren't so different after all...huh?"
* Horikoshi smirks to himself before speaking again*: "Had a funny memory...I was with this kid... looked about your age... he kept coming at me with the whole I-AM-NOT-SCARED attitude...and that's how I knew he would be fun to watch... usually those are the first to get terrified... so we were both assigned on the same mission...the guy was shaking taking every corner with such slowness it was almost laughable as he kept scanning everywhere...waiting for some jumpscare...it was like a horror house for him"
* Horikoshi lets out a small laugh before he continues*: "he told me to carry the weapons, and when I asked him why, it's because he wanted to rest from carrying it....truth was...he wanted me to face the abstract*
* Horikoshi lets out a sigh*: "And when it came down to the final encounter...guy just left me...nowhere to be found after"
*Horikoshi lets out some chuckles*
Scape: "You are sick to be laughing at someone who clearly needed help"
Horikoshi: " Or maybe he should have thought twice before taking the job"
*Scape looks at him dead in the eye with an expressionless face*: "And you weren't scared? At all?
*Horikoshi reverts his gaze a few seconds after that question as he takes another puff and scratches the back of his head*: "shit... listen, man...just wanted to lighten the mood, that's all...but you are right... it's wrong to feel that way"
Scape: "It was a funny story"
*Horikoshi smiles faintly as he looks at my face, then looks away again*: "Didn't hear you laugh...heh...tough one to crack, aren't you?"
Scape: "I am not sure...if I can feel like that again..."
*Horikoshi's smirk falters before throwing away the last of his cigar as he thinks to himself: "This guy has problems"