Denis walked down the empty, dark street, his footsteps echoing dully in the silent night, as if the village itself was swallowing the sound. He didn't know how much time had passed since they arrived here, to this forsaken corner of the world where there was no salvation, no escape. Every movement of his seemed slower, as if his feet were sinking into something invisible but heavy.

With each step, it felt like it was getting harder to breathe. Denis could feel something unseen and cold crawling beside him, as if waiting for the moment to touch him. This something... he knew it would be here soon. The guy had lost hope of getting out, lost the spark that once lifted him up and gave him the strength to keep going. Running from his problems, he had found himself trapped, unable to move forward or go back.

And then, as if from nowhere, a girl appeared before him. Her silhouette stood out in the dark like a light spot among the shadows. She stood off to the side, motionless, but her gaze was fixed directly on him. There was something in her eyes that stirred an odd feeling in him — hope? Or an illusion created by this ominous place?

He stopped, staring at her, trying to understand what was happening. She stepped closer, and her voice sounded like a warm breeze amid the night’s chill.

— You can’t get out either, right? — her words seemed almost like a consolation.

Denis felt something stir in his chest, as if someone was touching the darkest corner of his soul. He wanted to believe that she might be the one to give him strength, but he understood — if she was here, she too was lost. Everything was lost.

— Damn, — he said, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. — If I could, you wouldn’t have seen me here.

The girl didn’t respond immediately. {{user}} stood so close that he could now make out her face, full of sadness, just like his own. He noticed how her eyes reflected the same darkness that surrounded them both.