章 2: The Apocalypse

Loud clacking of pointed heels echo all around the tenebrous hall as Anastasia pulls out a frantic sprint.

For a while, she just lets her feet take her to every corridor that she can turn to as she keeps up with this feverish dash. That's until she stumbles in accident all of the sudden, body staggering to keep her balance.

That's only when she realizes what she's wearing the whole time - a sophisticated snow white Victorian ball gown with see-through sleeves along with a pair of high heels.

Anastasia is thoroughly confused at this point. Though she appears like royalty with such an opulent outfit, her petrified expression is unsightly.

She can't help but be mystified as she pictures herself in this doll-like guise. First a coffin, then this labyrinthine hodgepodge of a place, and now this outrageously intricate get-up.

She's now wondering if this is all just a dream after all.

"Where do you think you're going?"

But then, at those words, her assumption shatters in pieces almost instantly. His gravelly calm voice is a slap back to reality, making shivers run a marathon down her spine.

With that, Anastasia snaps back to her senses again. She then pulls herself together and bends slightly before ripping the hemline of her dress apart and throwing her shoes off of her feet.

"This will do. I need to get out of here," she muttered vehemently, bracing herself for a new round of tag.

Anastasia then continues to take flight.

As she does so, she manages to steal a glance from her behind, only to find that he's not even breaking a sweat nor trying to catch up. He's just calmly walking down the hall, and the way he does it is ever so slightly supercilious, giving her the impression that he has an ace up his sleeves.

That palpable portent hanging in the air around him, his mocking placidity, and this game of chase - they're triggering a certain tragedy to resurface in her muddled memories.

"Why is this happening? What's going on?" were the only coherent thought that kept repeating in her mind like a never-ending cycle.

Soon enough, Anastasia is starting to be convinced that he is her lone companion inside this enormous, maze-like place.

There's not a single soul to be seen as she gropes her way around to find an exit. Not even the luxurious ornamentation and the stupendous layout can make her stall around, though.

She only picks up her speed, not sparing even a minute to rest and steady her breathing.

"Stop already."

Then, out of nowhere, Anastasia finds herself being embraced from the back as a pair of strong arms suddenly wrap themselves around her petite figure.

It just happened that the guy appeared right behind her as she turned to a corner. Perplexed for a moment, she hastily squirms around in an attempt to break free but to no avail.

He only tightens his grip, their bodies pressed so firmly together that she can smell his cool fragrance and feel his generous warmth. Right then, another spine-chilling recollection flashes through her eyes once more - this time, it's that perturbing moment of being confined in a place that's far worse than a coffin.

"Get off of me!" Anastasia cried out before stomping on his foot with brute force, sending him stumbling backward.

Yelping in pain, he eventually pulls away and releases her. She takes this chance to run and head straight to a flight of stairs that's leading downstairs.

Upon descending it, a humongous wooden door and a jaw-droppingly stunning lobby come into view.

"An exit!" she exclaimed in evident relief before sprinting towards the door with no hesitation.

Fortunately, it wasn't locked like how she expected it to be. She's finally able to step a foot outside without any more hurdle, which is probably the only good thing that happened that day.

With that, Anastasia has attained her much sought-after freedom at last.

A roaring thunderclap reverberates the moment she gets out, but even then, she doesn't cower. She even welcomes the fresh gust of wind that comes her way even though the cold bites her skin.

She embraces the fertile land that kisses her feet even though her soles are close to swelling. She also revels in the pool of light that's gracing the sky even though ominous, dark clouds are starting to roll by.

At that moment, Anastasia silently thought, "Freedom has never been this much-desired."

And then to run, that's all she does.

As long as she doesn't feel safe enough, she'll just continue to run away. She didn't even look back to see the entire picture of the place that was once her cage.

But then, a moment after rushing out of this exotically ornate gate that directs her straight to a myriad of commercial edifices, she finds herself flummoxed all of the sudden. She stands immensely baffled once again -

For her promised destination turns out to be a ghost town.

A deserted land.

A soulless city.

A stomach-churning setting.

Broken windows, crumbled homes, rubbles and debris - her everything at that moment is in chaotic shambles. No one's around.

There's nothing else worth taking note of, except for the forlorn quietude that prevails amidst her perturbation.

"What on earth...?"

Anastasia is now losing words to say and thoughts to think of. But even then, she decided to stir her stumps a bit longer in hope to find anything that can enlighten her.

She plays in another scavenger hunt for the nth time that day, passing through building to building. That's until she arrives in an alley, and only then did it start raining cats and dogs.

"Great. Just great," Anastasia grumbled underneath her breath, bathing in the icy cold drops of water.

"A little more and I'll rest."

Making up her mind to call quits for now, she swerves back around but only to come face to face with a middle-aged man. She visibly perks up at this, thinking that she finally found a lead.

But then, just like the person who's chasing her earlier, she also can't make out his frame.

"E-Excuse me. Are you from here? I'd like to-"

Then, she paused.

At the thunderous strike of lightning, the haze finally clears up. For some reason, that momentary blinding brightness causes the fog of enigma to simmer down.

Anastasia can see him at last, but instead of being delighted, she finds herself stepping backward in flummox.

What appears before her is an inhuman being - with his face all distorted and his body language saying perilous trouble. He only remains still for a moment, his dead eyes glued on her now horror-stricken exterior.

Anastasia can just be seeing things, but then, as soon as he begins to approach her in a way that makes her think that she's the prey and he's a monstrous predator, she eventually snaps out of it and turns to escape.

However, before she can even move a limb, he has already toppled her over.

With a loud thud, both of them then fall on the ground, his manly weight pinning her down.

"N-No....Please, no..."

Instead of running for her life, Anastasia finds herself begging for it this time.