Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Scott (hardest books to read txt) 📕

“I don’t want to burden you with it,” I said weakly. “I don’t want you to turn out like me.”

“That’s silly. You’ll feel better after you talk about it,” she replied. “I want to help you.”

“I’m fine, really. I think I just need a good night’s sleep, and I’ll—”

“You died, Lux.” Lia rolled my head over to give me a stern look. “That’s not a memory somebody should have to deal with. You’ve gone through some terrible things, but you don’t have to go through it alone anymore.”

I took a deep, shaking breath. “You’re right,” I said with a sigh. Rolling onto my back, I gave her hand a light squeeze as I closed my eyes and rested my head comfortably against her stomach. “I’ll tell you about it.”

***

5. END OF THE WORLD

My boots peeled away from the floor with a sticky snap as I hurried down a stone corridor. Silver iridescent blood coated every surface in the hallway; the rotten, clotted substance filled the air with a foul odor so strong you could taste it on the back of your tongue. I had gone noseblind to the scent long ago, but even the sight of the blood was enough to unsettle my stomach. I slowed to a walk to observe a heavily coated section of wall. Running a gloved finger across the surface, I could identify distinct layers in the fetid blood going back multiple days.

The sudden piercing wail of an alarm klaxon renewed my focus, and I doubled my pace to the end of the hall. Placing my ear against a clean patch of metal, I took a moment to ensure the next room was clear before heaving the heavy iron door open. The room was in the same state I had left it in, thankfully, and I moved quickly to make my final preparations.

A large ring of black barrels sat in the center of the chamber, wrapped up and strung together with copious amounts of copper wire which coalesced in a small metal box on the floor. Every visible surface of the setup was completely coated in blood, which seemed to shimmer in the yellow light of a single filament bulb on the ceiling. Fresher blood crept its way towards me across the uneven floor, flowing out from beneath the massive pile of bodies against the back wall.

Although I knew there were at least fifty corpses lining the wall, it would be difficult to point out exactly where one ended and the next began. Save for the mortal wounds that had been inflicted upon them, each one looked identical to the others: smooth slate colored skin, humanoid in shape, and completely featureless aside from their faces. Their noses were sealed over and hardly visible above a distended mouth filled with multiple rows of teeth. While the lifeless eyes appeared entirely white in their current state, I could never forget the otherworldly purple glow they emitted while alive.

I walked around the circle of barrels to inspect my handiwork for what must have been the twentieth time. Satisfied again with the setup, I moved to the side wall and uncoiled a large length of heavily insulated cable. Slotting one end into its home in the wall, I walked the remaining length across the room and attached it to the receiver in the control box. A deep humming sound resonated out from the walls of the chamber, and a small indicator light flickered to life on the box.

I let out a sigh of relief. With my task completed, I moved to leave the way I had entered, but I stopped when I noticed a handwritten note on the inside face of the door. It was scrawled in a messy, uneven font and only lightly stained with blood. “Don’t forget. The switch is on the table in the center room. Don’t forget. The barrels have to be hooked into the wall before the switch will work. Don’t forget. You have to press the switch before the end. Don’t forget. Don’t forget!”

My brow furrowed. The note was written in my own handwriting, but I had no memory of creating it or attaching it to the door. Beyond that, the idea that I could forget how my own equipment worked didn’t make sense. My stomach knotted as I tried to recall the reason I would need the note in the first place, but its meaning eluded me. I did my best to shake off the worry and left the room, sealing it closed again behind me.

I had barely taken a step down the stone hallway when my leg spasmed. I toppled forward and landed hard on my shoulder and chin, which sent a splash of rancid blood up along the side of my face. Sharp lances of pain shot through me as I rolled on the floor, my leg convulsing uncontrollably. I instinctively pulled at my mana reserves in an attempt to calm my leg, but was startled when I found the energy already pounding throughout my body at maximum capacity.

As the convulsions began to settle, I dragged myself up to a sitting position against the wall and tried to center myself. My head was swimming from the impact of the fall, and my body throbbed in pain much worse than I expected from such a trivial injury. I knew something was wrong, but it was difficult to pinpoint it through the daze.

Another klaxon blared down the hallway, pulling me back to my senses. With a pitiful whimper, I managed to struggle to my feet and continue my journey down the hallway. I limped through the dim passages, winding and weaving through the labyrinthine halls for what felt like far too long. Eventually, I reached another metal door, though this one was considerably lighter and already unlatched. I stuck my head through the open doorway and peered into the dark room.

It seemed to be some sort of living