I stood at the edge of the abyss, staring into the void. The figure before me was myself, our eyes locked in a gaze that seemed to stretch on forever.
"You've been here before," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
My doppelganger nodded, a slow smile spreading across its face. "I've been here many times. We've been here many times."
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized the truth. I was trapped in a loop, reliving the same moments over and over.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice laced with desperation.
My doppelganger's smile grew wider. "I want you to remember. Remember who you are, what you've done, and what you must do."
As it spoke, the world around us began to shift and distort. I saw glimpses of my past, of the institution, of the experiments, and of the destruction I'd wrought.
And in the midst of it all, I saw a figure – myself, standing at the edge of the abyss, staring into the void.
The loop closed, and I was back where I'd started, staring into the face of my own madness.
But this time, something was different. This time, I remembered. I remembered everything.
I took a step forward, my eyes locked on my doppelganger's. "I know what I must do," I said, my voice firm.
My doppelganger nodded, a look of approval on its face. "Then do it," it said, before turning and disappearing into the void.
I was left alone, standing at the edge of the abyss. But I wasn't afraid. I knew what I had to do.
I took a deep breath, and stepped into the void.