NPCYou push yourself out of the depths of pain, submitting completely to Kibellah's voice. A moment later, it starts to become louder and clearer. The disturbing pain does not disappear, but now you know where to go — and you follow your guide.
NPCSuddenly, Kibellah's voice seems to multiply, as if every word were being spoken by several copies of her in unison: "Along the threads that form the web; along the rays of the star whose heart turns ice into flame; along the tracks we have left for one another, we shall come together in a unity that will become our revelation — in death which grants true sight; in death for which all are fated..." Your knees buckle — the anxiety that has been with you since the beginning of the ritual now clamps around your throat like a collar of steel.
YOU"You are calling me. Where to?"
NPC"Where the joining of opposites begets a collapse, a collapse that will become an act of creation: from the ruins of meaning, sacred halls will rise, and He will be pleased..." Her tone changes subtly — as if the ritual prayer were somehow transforming into a love song.
YOU"You are calling me. Where to?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Push through the feeling of suffocation]
YOU[Conquer your weakness]
YOU[Push through the feeling of suffocation]
YOU[Conquer your weakness]
YOU"No... enough! Remove the stitches. I want no more of this!"
NPCYou hear silence... and suddenly the ethereality around you is replaced by something else, something normal. You hear footsteps approaching, then a whisper: "I'm here. Don't move. Let me take those off."
NPCYou open your eyes and see light once more — and Kibellah, wearing a saddened expression. "I should not have distracted you from your labours, Domin'[Name]. Please... return to your thread. I will think upon all that took place here."
end of branch
YOU[Push through the feeling of suffocation]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Conquer your weakness]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Push through the feeling of suffocation]continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Conquer your weakness]continues where this line first appears above
YOU"No... enough! Remove the stitches. I want no more of this!"continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 2 of 9
NPCThe loss of sight must have affected you on a subconscious level. You cannot get the throbbing pain out of your mind. Your legs are shaking... You feel forever lost in the darkness with no way out, other than the faint hope of following the echo of Kibellah's voice.
NPCSuddenly, Kibellah's voice seems to multiply, as if every word were being spoken by several copies of her in unison: "Along the threads that form the web; along the rays of the star whose heart turns ice into flame; along the tracks we have left for one another, we shall come together in a unity that will become our revelation — in death which grants true sight; in death for which all are fated..." Your knees buckle — the anxiety that has been with you since the beginning of the ritual now clamps around your throat like a collar of steel.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 3 of 9
NPCYou focus all your attention on your physical suffering... and the pain retreats, as if intimidated by your resolve. You take a step and then another.
NPCSuddenly, Kibellah's voice seems to multiply, as if every word were being spoken by several copies of her in unison: "Along the threads that form the web; along the rays of the star whose heart turns ice into flame; along the tracks we have left for one another, we shall come together in a unity that will become our revelation — in death which grants true sight; in death for which all are fated..." Your knees buckle — the anxiety that has been with you since the beginning of the ritual now clamps around your throat like a collar of steel.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 4 of 9
NPC(no text)
NPCSuddenly, Kibellah's voice seems to multiply, as if every word were being spoken by several copies of her in unison: "Along the threads that form the web; along the rays of the star whose heart turns ice into flame; along the tracks we have left for one another, we shall come together in a unity that will become our revelation — in death which grants true sight; in death for which all are fated..." Your knees buckle — the anxiety that has been with you since the beginning of the ritual now clamps around your throat like a collar of steel.continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 5 of 9
NPCYou muster your strength and renounce the phantom terrors. Your weakness forgotten, you follow the guiding thread that shines in your mind — the thread of Kibellah's voice.
NPC"All who rest in these halls do so as a reward for the deeds they performed in His name. May the end of our journey be as glorious as that of all who came before us..." Kibellah trails off. Eventually, she adds, softly and quietly, "Take my hand. Thus shall we walk into the halls we are destined for."
YOU[Take Kibellah's hand and step forward] "I trust you."
NPCYou take a step...
NPC...and you feel the darkness touch you. Directly ahead, you see Kibellah, holding your hand. Her eyes, so full of warmth, are looking at you. "You've found me... despite everything. Now, dive deeper... immerse yourself in what unites us at this crossroads..."
NPCThe gloom begins to part as a razor-sharp blade cuts the stitches on your eyelids one by one. You feel gentle touches, your wounds sting a little... and at last, you can see once more. The dim light of the crypt blinds you so badly that Kibellah appears as a faceless dark silhouette before you.
NPC"And once again, you have witnessed my truth, Domin'[Name]." Kibellah does not look at you — her gaze seems to be directed inward or, perhaps, nowhere at all. "Light has been found. We have passed another circle on our way to the truth at the heart of our bond."
YOU"I saw a glowing labyrinth — just like the one you traced on the officers' deck..."
NPCKibellah takes a deep breath. "You... saw it? Then you're walking down its winding paths... together with me. You must have truly come to know me if our minds have touched so." She frowns. "I did not expect your trance to extend so deeply. I... must think about this."
YOU"I saw a glowing labyrinth — just like the one you traced on the officers' deck..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were different just now. More... feeling."
NPC"We wear masks on our faces, not on our souls." The corners of her mouth twitch. "I may be a spinner of death, but I'm still a human inside... as are you."
YOU"I saw a glowing labyrinth — just like the one you traced on the officers' deck..."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"You were different just now. More... feeling."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thank you for the ritual."
NPCShe touches your cheek with her fingertips. "No. I should be the one thanking you. Few are worthy of this ritual. I have never performed it for anyone before..." A smile blossoms on her lips.
NPC"You must return from death's halls out into the world. And please..." Kibellah presses a hand to your chest. "All that the ritual has revealed to you — keep it in your heart. It is your treasure alone."
end of branch
YOU"It was a difficult experience, but we did it together."
NPCShe looks at you with an elusive smile. "Yes, we did. That is how the ritual of finding light is performed: not alone, but together, by those who are bound in His light, in His name."
NPC"You must return from death's halls out into the world. And please..." Kibellah presses a hand to your chest. "All that the ritual has revealed to you — keep it in your heart. It is your treasure alone."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would rather not go through something like this again."
NPC"There is no need. The ritual is complete. And this experience... do not try to make sense of it — simply accept it, as one would accept death."
NPC"You must return from death's halls out into the world. And please..." Kibellah presses a hand to your chest. "All that the ritual has revealed to you — keep it in your heart. It is your treasure alone."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thank you for the ritual."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"It was a difficult experience, but we did it together."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would rather not go through something like this again."continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
NPCThis is not some metaphor. Your gift makes it clear that your and Kibellah's minds now share a psychic connection, one that both of you are helping to sustain.
end of branch
YOU"You were different just now. More... feeling."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Thank you for the ritual."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"It was a difficult experience, but we did it together."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I would rather not go through something like this again."continues where this line first appears above
NPC...and though your eyes are still blind and your body trembles, you feel warmth — her warmth. Despite everything, you have walked the road of darkness — and reached the one who has been guiding you with her voice. You feel her breath on your neck and hear her words in your ear: "We've gone deeper. We're closer now. Closer than ever before."
NPCThe gloom begins to part as a razor-sharp blade cuts the stitches on your eyelids one by one. You feel gentle touches, your wounds sting a little... and at last, you can see once more. The dim light of the crypt blinds you so badly that Kibellah appears as a faceless dark silhouette before you.continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Take Kibellah's hand and pull her toward you] "Trust me. Follow me."
NPCYou feel a slight resistance... but then she lets out a trembling sigh and steps toward you, placing her hand in yours.
NPCA strange sensation comes over you, as if the two of you had found yourselves in a confined space, delirious from the lack of air and intoxicated by each other's warmth. You can see Kibellah — and a maze of dully flickering crimson lines beneath your feet. She exhales, "It's wrong... It's all wrong..." She squeezes your fingers. "But I trust you. I'm coming toward you. The distance is fading away."
NPCThe gloom begins to part as a razor-sharp blade cuts the stitches on your eyelids one by one. You feel gentle touches, your wounds sting a little... and at last, you can see once more. The dim light of the crypt blinds you so badly that Kibellah appears as a faceless dark silhouette before you.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"No... enough! Remove the stitches. I want no more of this!"continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 6 of 9
NPC(no text)
NPC"All who rest in these halls do so as a reward for the deeds they performed in His name. May the end of our journey be as glorious as that of all who came before us..." Kibellah trails off. Eventually, she adds, softly and quietly, "Take my hand. Thus shall we walk into the halls we are destined for."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 7 of 9
NPCYou channel your force of will to push the suffocation aside, refusing to let it force you to your knees... and you can almost hear the ringing of metal as the collar around your throat finally loosens. The guiding thread of Kibellah's voice shines on in your mind.
NPC"All who rest in these halls do so as a reward for the deeds they performed in His name. May the end of our journey be as glorious as that of all who came before us..." Kibellah trails off. Eventually, she adds, softly and quietly, "Take my hand. Thus shall we walk into the halls we are destined for."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 8 of 9
NPCYou are powerless before this smothering fear. The anxiety swallows you whole like a wave, and as you are pulled under, you can no longer hear Kibellah's voice for a few long seconds.
NPC"All who rest in these halls do so as a reward for the deeds they performed in His name. May the end of our journey be as glorious as that of all who came before us..." Kibellah trails off. Eventually, she adds, softly and quietly, "Take my hand. Thus shall we walk into the halls we are destined for."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 9 of 9
NPCKibellah bows her head in a short greeting. Her eyes practically glow with anticipation. "Within these walls, under the spectral watch of the dead, in the land that our deeds have cleansed of pestilence... I wish to take you on a journey: the ritual of finding light."
NPCShe slowly brings a hand to your face and touches the corner of your eye. "Sight is your ally and your foe, for it exists only to perceive deeds and be oblivious to intentions. I will teach you to see without eyes, Domin'[Name], as I was taught once. Will you permit me to sew your eyes shut and guide you through the ritual, along a thread unseen?"
YOU"Sew my eyes shut? What, forever?"
NPC"No, Domin'[Name]. My stitches will be precise and my hand careful. Once you have passed the ritual, I will unseal your eyes, and no harm will have come to you."
YOU"Sew my eyes shut? What, forever?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why should I go on this... journey?"
NPCShe pauses before answering. She moves her hand down, cautiously touching your chest. "There is... much between us that I have yet to understand. Decks and bulkheads separate us, but greater still is the spiritual distance. You have entered my labyrinth, and I have been to your world. But there is still so much more that we must learn about each other. I am inviting you to walk my paths so that you may see into me. And I into you."
YOU"Sew my eyes shut? What, forever?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why should I go on this... journey?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well... I am ready."
NPCIn the gloom of the crypt, the needle in Kibellah's hands could be mistaken for the flash of one of her blades. "Close your eyes, Domin'[Name], and humble your breathing in a silent prayer to the Undying One."
NPCYour eyelids hurt after having been punctured and stitched together with thread. The sensation muddles your thoughts and evokes an eerie dread from the depths of your heart. You are blind. Not a single ray of light can creep into your world, and your only awareness about your immediate surroundings is based on subtle noises. Through the veil of pain, you hear Kibellah's quiet voice: "We accept His blessings with a single purpose: to serve Him in our unity stronger than any chains. Come to me, Domin'[Name]. The sound of my voice will show you the way, if you can unfetter your heart..."
YOU[Immerse yourself in the pain of your past and trust Kibellah to guide you]
NPCA new, unfamiliar pain seeks to consume you, so you find sanctuary in the older, more familiar ache. The torment that you went through in the past, the torment that could not break you, eases your suffering in the present. You take a step and then another.
NPCSuddenly, Kibellah's voice seems to multiply, as if every word were being spoken by several copies of her in unison: "Along the threads that form the web; along the rays of the star whose heart turns ice into flame; along the tracks we have left for one another, we shall come together in a unity that will become our revelation — in death which grants true sight; in death for which all are fated..." Your knees buckle — the anxiety that has been with you since the beginning of the ritual now clamps around your throat like a collar of steel.continues where this line first appears above
YOU[Focus on her voice]
YOU[Focus on the pain]
YOU[Focus on her voice]
YOU[Focus on the pain]
YOU"No... enough! Remove the stitches. I want no more of this!"continues where this line first appears above
NPC(sequence)
NPCDarkness is merciless. You learned this while trying to hide from the nightmares that torment you. No matter how tightly you shut your eyes on those long nights, the haunting visions would not leave you alone, either in sleep or during waking hours. The moment Kibellah applies the final stitch, you can feel it: the horrors are already here, lying in wait for you to make even a single misstep. And when you do, they will drown you in that merciless darkness.
end of branch
YOU"I am against such experiments."
NPCKibellah steps away, her hand sliding off you to hang limply by her side. You barely hear her as she says, "I understand. Perhaps the distance between us was never meant to be crossed. Go, then."
end of branch
YOU"Well... I am ready."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am against such experiments."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why should I go on this... journey?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Well... I am ready."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I am against such experiments."continues where this line first appears above