Nema knelt down to the ground with Madoka in her arms. Gently setting him down. Taking great care not to let him get hurt in the process. It always tickled her seeing how at peace Madoka was when he slept.
She didn't bother looking up at all of the creatures wearing the black robes. Knowing that they completely surrounded her. Waiting like a pack of hyena's for her to let him go. So they could ferry him back to where he belonged. Aiming to keep the loop going until it ultimately consumed him.
While the one that walked on its hands aimed at making his suffering all the more painful.
Nema had only recently seen the creature that walked on its hands appear. She'd watched as it grew from the grotesque form of being covered in black muscle tendons and white ashy bones. To the powerhouse it had become. Growing exponentially more powerful and terrifying the closer this world grew to the edge.
At first it had been more interested in observing the world that it had been born into.
"You have to let him go. So the cycle can continue." A voice echoed in a faint whisper that originated in a cacophony from all around her. Words she had only heard whenever she was in the way of the robed creatures.
Slowly. She loosened her grip on Madoka. Closing her eyes tightly as she felt pairs of wanting hands move around her. Lifting Madoka's weight from her arms. Leaving her with a deeper sense of emptiness than she had already felt.
Deep down. It hurt. Even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself. Even if she couldn't show it. Knowing that no one was going to remember her. Knowing that she could never have the kind of friendship Madoka had with Yuichi. Knowing she could never truly have that.
"Heeeee will. Dieeeee" The haunting voiced giggly whispered.
Nema Looked up pinning the grey creature that walked on its hand with a dangerous glare.
Which didn't really seem to bother the creature at all. Instead, it just burst out into a deep echoing laughter that vibrated the air in the growing darkness around them. Revealing to Nema something horrifying.
It was growing stronger.
Standing to her full height. She began to walk past the creature.
"Heeee will. Dieeee" The creature hissed as she passed it. Sending a cold shiver down her spine as she felt its murderous intent in the words it spoke.
Still, she didn't react to it. She couldn't. Because as long as Madoka was asleep, she could be hurt. Something she had learned the hard way in the beginning.
So, as long as she didn't antagonize it or make it want to start targeting her. She'd be fine. At least. That was her understanding.
But there was a part of her that couldn't help but say something a little bit antagonistic.
"If. I have. Any hand. In this. He will. Not die." She said to the creature. Before quickly moving to get out of the ever changing train station. With loud creaks echoing from the metal supports that held up all of the concrete.
Once outside. Nema stared at the night sky silently. Watching as the same clouds that hung in place at all hours of the day continued to slowly drift through the sky. Remaining like her, ever unchanging and constant. The only things that stayed the same while Madoka remained completely unaware of it.
Because he wouldn't remember the events of what happened today. Just like every other day he went through this.
And it hurt. Knowing that he wouldn't remember anything. Knowing that she would just be a complete stranger to him. Again.
This was a hell the two of them shared. While he was cursed to suffer and never remember it. Reliving the pain and agony of it all freshly each day. And she was cursed to remain after the world twisted and contorted itself, left to remember, to witness. To break the cycle.
It was a stagnating hell that brought Nema to her breaking point several times. Times where she'd been at her weakest, and almost let Madoka drown. Times that artificially sped up the danger of the world's changes.
Times she was severely punished for the involvement of certain rules. Or stipulations.
But today was the first day that Nema did something so brash and reckless. Something that would've caught the eye of her patron.
It was because of him that she was even here. And it was because of him that she needed to follow a strict set of rules.
One of which she broke when she touched Madoka. Now it was only a matter of time till her punishment was dished out. And she would definitely not be getting any rest as a result.
As she walked through the empty streets. Nema felt the cool air shifting as the wind blew leaves across the street. Somewhat drying the beaded sweat that ran down her skin.
It was lonely this time of the day. Because there was absolutely no one to interact with. Nothing to entertain her during these hours. Where the books lost their words, the t.v. It's clarity, and even looked like a mass of brown smudges no matter the medium.
Even her own handwriting couldn't be perceived. So whenever Nema wrote, she had to take great care not to make a mistake. Or else she'd have to start over from scratch. Rewriting the same paragraph several times in some instances.
Which was evident from the piles of paper that littered her room. Leaving very little space for her to actually sleep. Not like she was able to sleep much anyway.
Not with the sounds of a horror movie apocalypse playing outside her window. With the screeches of creatures she would hopefully never have to see.
But more importantly than her sleep. Nema had to play things smart. As the changes in the world around her were starting to change rather quickly. Which meant, she had to be careful about the rules she broke moving forward.
Expelling a breath of exhaustion. Nema made her way up the stairs to her apartment. Feeling her body slowly growing tighter by the second. Like her skin had suddenly become a constrictor snake that covered every inch of her body. Becoming increasingly more painful with every step that she made. It was only once she was inside her apartment did she allow herself to collapse onto the soft tatami mat that made up the floor. With the pain tearing through her body in waves. Earning silent screams in response.
She stared at the piles of paper that littered the floor around her. The smeared lines blurring as tears clouded her vision. Making it near impossible to see the foot that was right in front of her.
"You broke a rule Nema…You know what has to happen now." A distorted voice spoke. Sounding far away, and close at the same time. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."
The voice added while all Nema could do was sob in response. It took everything she had just to stay conscious. And this was without having looked right at the figure. Which moved slowly, each footstep echoing throughout Nema's head. Amplifying the pain in its intensity.
"I-I Had. T-to." Nema barely managed to scream out as the pain coursed through her body. Almost like every single nerve in her body was being stabbed simultaneously and contorted to ensure that she suffered.
"You made your choice, now pay for it." The voice said right into her ear. As everything went black once more.