Entry 1: The Sword

Written for {item:2304522}, December 5th

June 12
Woke up at 5:14, right before my watch alarm. Unpleasant.
Traveled 23 miles on foot, 32 more to go but too tired to complete an entire marathon. Food running low, but enough to make it. Still no sign of Sadie or Ben, probably still lost. At least the backpack is getting lighter with food being eaten. Hoping to see the cave soon.
Was heading to bed when greeted by a terrible sight - another group, right across the river. What could they be doing in the middle of nowhere if not trying to reach the artifact before me? The oracle said I couldn't afford to fail this mission... but I can't go on tonight. Too tired. They can't be able to travel in the dark, right? So as long as I wake up early enough...

June 13
Woke up at 5:12, not early enough. The camp was already gone when I woke up. It'll take a lot of energy to catch up to them... if they were really there.
Looked at the area where the camp had been, nothing there. Was I hallucinating last night? I did walk a long distance...
Traveled 16 miles, 16 left to go. Figured halfway was a good stopping point. Still no signs of the camp I saw yesterday.
Nothing unusual happened in the evening.

June 14
Woke up at 4:30. Forgot to reset my watch alarm from yesterday and didn't sleep through it this time.
Traveled 4 miles, experienced leg tightness. Forced to slow down, only managed 3 more miles on the day. Checked supplies, with this delay I still have just enough to make it back if I manage it well. I have to reach it tomorrow.
Flickering lights in the distance, towards my destination. However, I still saw them with my eyes closed. Am I pushing myself too hard?

June 15
Woke up at 5:15 from watch alarm. Swelteringly hot.
Traveled 9 miles in the morning, stopping before entering a big cave, too smooth to be natural. More later.
I should have brought a flashlight. Matches are running low quickly... I probably shouldn't be stopping.
Mysterious light shining from the ceiling... writing in here to keep from being too nervous... the floor is too smooth, the walls flicker in and out and I don't feel anything when I lean on them... something tells me to turn away, but the oracle said I could not... why is it all downhill?
Okay, so I wiped out, but at the same time, since the floor was so slippery and downhill, I just kept sliding... now I'm in this large chamber lit from a pool in the center... oh dear, now the floor doesn't seem real either... and- no, nothing behind me. Is that... a sword in the middle? That must be it.

That... was something. The sword kept calling to me and it occurred to me that it must be that which the oracle had been talking about. I took up a match and set out to burn it, like the oracle said, but I couldn't. I had to touch it... I didn't want to touch it... I forget what happened next. Somehow, even though I didn't want to, it made me touch it... and it was awful. The moment I touched it, even if I had been myself before, I wasn't after that. I saw blood... fighting... killing... me killing... a dead friend... more death... the museum burning... the oracle screaming...
It was terrible.

(unfinished)