I don't know how much time passes, but eventually, the lights return to their blue glow, and the hallway loses its monstrous appearance. Even though in the back of my mind I notice such changes, my head is filled with the static of partially buried memories and indecipherable figures. My body has all but disappeared from my awareness. Even though I know on a logical level that I am standing stock-still in the middle of the hallway, I no longer consider my heart my own. I feel as if I've welcome this void before. It's a formless place, made up of fragments of my psyche. Colorful swirls and jagged edges ripple out from the black plane around me, poking and prodding at my formless body. I expand my reach as if embracing a warm lover, but all I feel is a biting coldness pushing back at me.

I find myself attending the previous scene. It's as if I've taken the place of a narrator and am watching the events unfold from a third-person point of view. The indistinct haziness once again overwhelms me, like how it did Jeffrey. Yet I'm barely able to withstand it, having experienced it before. Over and over again, I read the lips of the shadowy being in my mind. The name they mouth repeatedly without end seems so familiar, so personal, yet I can't break through the blockade in my consciousness. I begin to dig at the metaphorical wall and with each jolt of pain and terror, I find myself seeing the figure clearer and clearer. Still, the enemy of all humans is time, and I don't seem to have enough of it. Heavy footsteps echo down the hall, and I once again find myself trapped solidly within the confines of my body, no longer capable of returning to that endless abyss.

Slowly, I turn around. The hallway twists as I force my exhausted body to stand straight and proper. Faintly I can make out Roland's cautious stalking, as he hesitantly walks closer to where I am. His behavior only makes sense, as by now I am presumed dead. By pure logic, I should have died today. It was simply by a weird twist of fate that Jeffrey just so happened to explode. Even if asked, I wouldn't be able to explain the events clearly. Eventually, Roland sees me, and a shocked look crosses his face. His eyebrows furrow in confusion the instant he sees Jeffrey's crumpled body, the ragged corpse a tangle of exceedingly long limbs and copious amounts of blood. He barks out to me, his voice suspicious and wary.

"What happened?"

How should I react to this? I'm sure by now he suspects I have a Stigma. There's no other way Jeffrey could have died, as far as he knows. If I try to push my innocence by defending myself, I'll only appear more suspicious. In that case, the best course of action would be to maintain my shocked outer appearance and pretend to be too dazed to respond. My body visibly relaxes the instant my eyes see Roland. Such an action tips me towards the wall, and I heavily lean against it. Heaving out deep breaths, I stare dully at the floor, blinking rapidly. I struggle to maintain my breath, desperately trying to keep a calm front in the presence of Roland.

Seeing the sheer state of relief I'm in, Roland neatly sets aside the questioning. Instead, he slowly approaches the body, gripping the handle of his ax with white knuckles.

Prodding forward, he manages to roll the corpse around, giving him a full view of the destroyed head and bare neck. A sharp breath can be heard as his eyes are submerged beneath confusion and fear. Strangely, such emotions only seem natural decorating his visage. He turns to me, reaching a scarred hand out to shake me by the shoulder.

"Hey... What happened?"

Another question. Do I tell the truth or lie? If I fuck up Roland will most likely kill me on the spot. An unknown variable is the greatest hindrance. Considering I can't even properly explain the event, the safest option would be to lie. It's a good thing I'm confident in my lying ability.

"I-I'm not sure... I did as you said and closed my eyes... I made sure not to react in the slightest... The hallway was filled with screaming, so I thought... I thought the plan was working. You know, since he was actually trying to trick me into reacting... The next thing I know, he was screaming. I think he was thrown against the wall, but I'm not too sure. I was too scared to open my eyes, so all I could do was stand still..."

I take a deep breath and blink my eyes, allowing my vision to slowly come into focus. In front of me, Roland is fiercely staring at me, going over every word I utter.

"The next thing I know I'm standing here. I must have blacked out in fear because I can't remember how long I've been here... Oh, right!"

I hurriedly ask him the time. Since I had been counting in my head, the instant I lost grip on reality I lost my connection to time. I listen to Roland's grating voice only to be shocked by the response. This time though, the reaction is real.

"It's already six?"

How long was I outside my body? The thought truly startles me, but I don't have the time to think further as Roland suddenly begins patting down Jeffrey's corpse. I question him in a voice that's just gaining clarity.

"Looking for his key card?"

If we were following the original plan that is indeed what Roland would be looking for. For some reason I thought things were changing, I guess I'm a bit out of it. Why would the plan change though? Jeffrey died, as simple as that. Things are all going according to plan.

"Yes. There's nothing else to do but move forward. To get this over with we need to go to Jeffrey's room since it should be empty. We might find some answers there."

"I see... Yes, that makes sense."

Just as I say this, Roland finally pulls a golden card from the headless corpse's pockets.

"Bingo."

With nothing else to do but move forward, we leave the floor and scale the tower. Exploring deeper and deeper into its rotting depths.