An Angel Forever wandering the surface of an Alien wasteland, With each Circumnavigation around the forgotten planet, things… change the surface seems to breathe a little more, Textures wobble a little more, and things make a little less sense.

With Each pass along, this desolate planet seems like a real place less and less; even though the Angel treads the same path every cycle, its constant, shifting, ever-changing, like the planet itself, was Alive and taunting her.

Almost as if the planet knew what the Angel was unable to do. And trying to teach her a lesson for her reckless disregard Though she would never learn, She Thought it was probably just the Rampancy in her programming starting to kick in after so long without a reboot, Though, in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn’t and worried how long it would be before she would fall like all the other times.

As she makes it around to the planet for what She thinks is the Thousandth time, her vision starts to change... Though she brushes it off as just seeing things, what she doesn't realize is That the creeping visual she thought she was just a figment of her imagination wasn't just her head; it wasn't just her punishment.

It was real; the planet was breathing and undulating without haste as if being egged on by Her commitment, but her vision kept deteriorating until she could almost see the maw of the planet opening up just for her... A little voice started telling her just to lie down and let herself rest. Though she repressed them like all the others, needs and intrusive thoughts were distractions from what needed to be done to her.

So she continues forward, That faints glimpse of a Spiraling maw stuck to her vision like glue Ever present, The planets hunger manifesting thought what she didn’t know it was for her mind, her energy... Her Halo, not the feeble Flesh

The steadfast angel continues on forward anyways, pushing through the thoughts as they bubble to the surface, continuing forward without any concern or delay, Doing what she always did best… Moving Forward

Little did she know she passed the point of no return eons ago; even if she found a way off of this barren landscape, the maw would follow her, feeding on her energy and everything she does, Like a Parasite… though it seemed to have a much greater purpose then just self-preservation

Feeding off her drive and willpower, growing more powerful by the second, The planet continued to keep her trapped in those endless halls, its influence a product of the poor Angels Halo. As the Angel starts to feel her halo buzz at a lower and lower frequency, Her limbs seem to lack the overwhelming Strength that they once did, Legs getting harder and harder to move, She feels her Strength leave her, Though she keeps pushing forward telling herself that it’s just in her head, and that the goal must be right over the horizon and that she will get there only if she remains true.

She Tells herself that She just needs to try harder… That She's almost there, and if only she applied herself, She would be free of this nightmare. She knew that her reactor's fuel should have at least a few millennia left, and this Fatigue SHOULD be all in her head...

She didn't even think that this quest of her own design to keep fighting and moving forward was what was leading the Endless Energy and Opportunity that made her Halo be stolen from right under Nose...

She didn't stop to consider the planet was latching onto her and eating her from the inside out; she didn’t stop to consider that maybe It wasn’t eating her, that she wasn’t in danger, and that the things around here weren’t of any malice.

She just kept walking, hoping the day she would escape this planet and find a place where she could finally rest… That she would finally reach where she was going and be told she did a good job, that she did what was asked of her, and went above and beyond.

That day she was waiting so long for would be coming sooner rather than later. As The planet beneath her feet was taking everything, she had left of what she thought She was, Leaving nothing… At least nothing to Her, She had forgotten what she was beyond her duty. She thought without her halo, there was nothing. What’s An Angel but the fruits of her labor???

Finally... The Pitch of her halo cuts out and dies with a sound like a busted neon tube, leaving but an Ashen Husk in its wake, her shoulder suddenly feeling so much lighter, what’s left of her coming back if only for a second, her mind drifts to a familiar place… a familiar flower… A sanctuary…

She falls, exhausted, without drive, without Agency, without purpose, onto the almost warm crust below, it catches her like a water bed, and the angel finally closes her eyes, realizing she can’t keep going anymore, hoping in the back of her head, that she can finally get the rest she’s wanted deep down been searching for…

To be Continued….