Midnight passed a few minutes ago, and even despite the late time, Emely continued working on the time anchor. Most of the intellectual work was done, all she needed to do was now build the device. She didn't want to rest, instead overworking herself despite her fatigue. Her work had to be put to a halt when she noticed something important was missing, she ran out of screws. The girl considered stopping for now but it was infuriating to stop for only a screw. One was missing, she used to take those ones in a world where she went with Silva and Remiel a few times. It was peaceful and no one was there anymore. She figured it would take ten minutes to get one, and then she'd return to the ship like nothing happened. It was against the leader's rules to go to another world alone, but it's safe and it's not like there was a leader to stop her now. With her watch in front of her, Emely took a last look at the sleeping Silva beside her and went into this empty world.

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Emely's old world had a lot of convenient tools, leading her to come here more often than she expected. And yet, this time felt different. The lights of the day were far gone, now only leaving a dark place. The young engineer's breath started to go faster as she regretted her decision, barely able to stay calm.

"D-Dark..."

Emely walked in the empty streets, her heart heavy. She was already there and wanted to prove to herself that the dark was nothing to her. She already knew the road, she had gone there multiple times. The girl tried her best to give herself some confidence, but it was vain. The lack of light made it hard to see, she knew there was nothing left, but her heart still pounded in her chest. Breathing was difficult, making her consider just going back on the ship. Suddenly, a shadow moved in front of her. Emely wasn't sure if it was because of her lack of sleep or if something really was there, but this didn't help her feel any better.

"It's just a hallucination... It's alright..."

Emely said those words, not expecting them to make her feel better. The girl continued, knowing that everything was safe. The sound of her steps echoed in the street. It always was silent, but this night also made this street terrifying. Emely kept telling herself that the dark couldn't hurt her, but her body didn't believe her. The girl couldn't even think clearly anymore, her breathing accelerating more and more. Her steps became less clear, her mind hazy, as she walked in the streets of the empty city. She even wondered if she hadn't come here before, was she lost? A sound from behind startled her, but when she turned around, nothing. Emely chuckled, amused and horrified by the situation. The engineer couldn't walk straight anymore, barely understanding why she was here in the first place. Her head felt light, Emely was conscious enough to know that her brain was protecting her from her fear, but not enough to stop there. The street filled with sounds of her giggles as she walked at a rapid pace, trying to avoid the non-existent danger. Emely stared at the dark in front of her, she vividly remembered how worried she was when she saw the anomaly for the first time. It was when it all started, the dark only brought uncertainty and almost took Silva away from her. Emely fell, unable to stand any longer. Her heart never beat so fast before and her eyes were about to close themselves. The last thing she saw was the red hair of her beloved, but she wasn't even sure whether it was real.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Emely opened her eyes and saw Gwyn, looking at her with a lollipop in her mouth. When the doctor noticed Emely's eyes opening, she took her notebook and noted something in it.

"Three hours and thirty-one minutes."

"Huh... What happened?"

Emely managed to sit on the bed she was in. Silva and Remiel were both standing there, looking at her with worry. Silva took Emely in her arms tightly, holding her like she was about to go away at any moment.

"Stupid dumbass, why did you go alone!?"

"I... Thought there was no one... It's empty usually..."

"There was no one." Gwyn said, taking the lollipop out of her mouth "You stressed yourself to death. You were so afraid that your body used so much adrenaline. You couldn't handle it and passed out. You're lucky Silva found you in time, it could have been much worse."

"You worried me Emely!" Silva yelled, visibly annoying the doctor next to her "Remiel told me you were alone in this world! If she didn't... I don't even want to think about it..."

"I thought I could beat my fear of the dark... I'm sorry..."

Silva turned toward her two friends. They quickly understood she wanted some time alone, and so, Gwyn and Remiel left Silva and Emely alone. The girl took Emely's hand, holding it dearly.

"You know... There are still many fears I have. I'm still afraid to hurt you, I'm still afraid of being alone... We're just humans, it's normal to have feelings we can't control. You don't have to face them alone, we're here for you... I'm here for you. And I know you're here too for me, our problems won't be away in a few months, I'm not even sure they'll fully disappear someday. Just... Please, don't do anything reckless..."

Emely caressed Silva's cheek, noticing the pain she brought her.

"I'm sorry... I really thought..."

"You didn't think enough! You're just a dumbass that can't think straight!"

"Of course I can't think straight... I'm lesbian."

"D-Don't use my jokes against me!" Silva blushed and looked away, a bit embarrassed "Next time, you're sleeping with me. No more leaving you alone in the middle of the night."

"I won't go into another world alone, I promise."

"But... What if something goes wrong? What if the lights go off? I'm not leaving you in the dark alone ever again!"

Emely smiled softly at Silva and took her in her arms, gently caressing her hair.

"I know you'll always be my light in the darkness..."

"It was so hard... Gwyn told me you were okay, but I could feel how slow your heartbeat was... I can't afford to lose you, so don't go... Can you promise that?"

"I can't promise that Silva, it's... Out of my control..."

"I'll wear anything you want..."

Emely looked around to make sure they were alone and took Silva's shoulder to look at her in the eyes.

"Silva, I promise that I will never go anywhere without you."

Silva smiled before giving a short kiss to her little inventor.

"I won't go anywhere either."