The oppressive atmosphere was punctuated by the sound of labored breathing, which reverberated ominously through the dimly lit space.
The steady drip of blood as it hit the hard floor added to the unsettling ambiance, while the all-encompassing silence was almost suffocating in its intensity.
In the oppressive stillness and pitch-black darkness, a voice pierced through, a female voice that was eerily familiar.
"Yuri," the voice called out, strained and feeble, as though it was a struggle to even utter the word.
The darkness seemed to swallow the voice, as if it were emanating from a great distance. It was a female voice, familiar yet unrecognizable in the thick blackness.
"Y..uri," it called again, the sound strained and desperate, as if the speaker were in pain.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of the voice gasping for air. It was clear that whoever it belonged to was struggling to speak.
"What's going on…?" Yuri's voice rang out, full of confusion and concern, "Was that…a woman?". There was no response, only the sound of heavy breathing and the occasional drop of blood hitting the ground.
"Yuri…wake up… you have to wake up!!!".
In an instant, Yuri's eyes sprang open, and she found herself kneeling in the midst of an unfamiliar space, cloaked in darkness except for the area immediately surrounding her.
In front of her knelt a figure, dressed in a mysterious black ensemble with a veil concealing their features. Bloodstains marred parts of their clothing, and they used one hand to steady themselves.
The scene before her was shrouded in an eerie silence, save for the faint sound of her own breathing. Yuri's mind raced as she attempted to piece together her current situation.
How had she ended up in this unknown place, and who was this enigmatic figure before her? She could feel a sense of danger emanating from them, and her instincts told her to be cautious.
As her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit surroundings, she began to take in her surroundings, searching for any clues or hints as to her whereabouts. The air was thick with an ominous energy, and the silence only served to heighten her apprehension.
Suddenly, the figure spoke, "Ahh, I made it." The figure panted, desperately trying to keep themselves balanced.
From the tone, Yuri was able to guess that the person in front of her was a female. She stood up from the ground and looked down at the person before she asked, "Who are you?".
The individual gave out a heavy sigh, before using her blood painted hand to remove the veil from her face.
Shock was instantly written on Yuri's face when she noticed that the individual kneeling in front of her was literally her.
The figure in front of her was dressed exactly like Yuri, with the same hairstyle and facial features.
However, there was a stark difference between them. The individual's eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles under them, and her skin was pale as if she had not seen sunlight in ages.
Yuri stumbled back a few steps, trying to comprehend what was happening. "What...what is going on here?" She stuttered, still in shock.
The other Yuri chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "I...am you," She said, her voice barely above a whisper, struggling to speak from the loss of blood. "Or rather, you..from the future".
Yuri frowned, her confusion turning to frustration. "I don't understand. You're telling me I learnt how to time travel?".
The female spoke with a weak voice, her body trembling as she struggled to maintain her balance. Yuri could see the desperation in her eyes and the exhaustion etched on her face.
"I..don't have time to go into details," The female said, looking up at Yuri with blood trailing down her mouth. "The…war with Jira…has it happened yet?" She asked urgently.
Yuri's heart skipped a beat. She hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes, we already defeated Jira in the war."
The female let out a deep groan, frustration evident in her voice, "Ahh, I was late."
Yuri was confused, "What do you mean? What are you…saying?".
The female's voice trembled with emotion as she spoke, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Before the war began, master did something... stupid," She began. "I didn't notice. I didn't know the death of Latina and Elena was still weighing on his mind."
Yuri's heart sank as she listened, the gravity of the situation becoming clearer with every passing word. "What did he do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He sent a clone of himself to retrieve their souls," The female replied, her voice breaking. "In the process, the clone killed the goddess of death."
Yuri's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Killing the goddess of death? How is that…even possible?" She whispered.
The female nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "It preserved the balance, but it angered most of the other gods. Including a particular Campione, a godslayer, Asrath. He came and took master to the god realm for questioning, and that was when... the observer showed up."
"What happened then?" She asked, her voice barely audible as she tried her best to remain calm.
The female's voice trembled as she spoke, and tears continued to stream down her face. Yuri could feel the weight of her words, and her heart sank with every passing moment.
"I didn't know what was happening until it was too late," The female said, her voice cracking with emotion. "The observer appeared, and I knew something terrible was going to happen."
Yuri could feel the fear in the room, and she knew that something terrible had happened to the female in front of her. "What did the observer do?" she asked softly, repeating herself.
The female took a deep breath before continuing. "He… he took master," She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He said that master had broken the rules and that he had to be punished. And then he…" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"Don't just stop half way, spill it!" Yuri yelled, going to her knees in front of the female and grabbing her arms.
"He… he killed him," The female said, her voice shaking with grief. "The observer killed master, and there was nothing I could do to stop him."
Yuri felt a surge of emotion as she listened to the female's words. She could feel the pain and sadness emanating from her, and she knew that there was nothing she could do to ease her suffering. All she could do was listen and wonder what on earth was happening.
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