Despite using him Auric Vision, the only thing Rick could see was the Crimson-Eyed Beast's eyes, and an ever-growing darkness that seemed to swallow up everything that was on the other side of the bridge. Even his own self was hardly visible, but there was something far more unsettling now.
His other self was staring at him, eyes glazed over. To say he looked like a corpse would be perfectly accurate. He slowly lifted an arm to wave, and thick, black tendrils stuck out of a massive hole in his elbow, leading back into the darkness that was the Crimson-Eyed Beast.
Whether it was an illusion designed to scare him or the reality of the situation, who knew? Perhaps he really was still out there, trapped an a waking nightmare, dead but not yet aware, and hidden away from any Reapers who may be coming for him.
Perhaps he as bait.

Sudden pain shot through his eyes as something seemed to flicker and change in the world around him, the crimson eyes seeming to almost smile. It was as it was inches away from showing off its teeth, yet they were never seen.

There was no vocal response from the Crimson-Eyed Beast, hidden in the darkness of the forest around them as it was. All Rick was given was a soft, vibrating hum that echoed around the forest as the Crimson-Eyed Beast faded away into its own darkness. The vision of himself and his companion from the past faded, too, and all he was left with was a single way forward- the path that lead further into the forest and, more importantly, further away from safety. There were no answers.
Not yet.

It was surprising, though. After Doctor Minerva had told Rick she would be the voice in his ear to guide him, he'd heard nothing from her over the last few days. He hadn't asked anything of his superior, either.
Perhaps he hadn't thought of it, or perhaps something more sinister had caught ahold of his vulnerable mind without him even knowing, and he had been shepherded into something truly horrific without him even knowing.
Whatever the reason, he was in the thick of it now regardless, and if he attempted to contact Eine, all he'd find was static coming through his earpiece.

With only one way left open to him, the path forward was clear.

[hr]

The dirt path was little more than just that- a dirt path. There were rocks here and there for him to step on by accident, and little bits of grass that still somehow managed to survive in the middle of the frequently-stomped path. It seemed to go on for almost too long, winding and snaking through the ever thickening forest like some sort of serpentine throat that dragged Rick deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast that was his current situation.
Eventually, he'd notice something that was more than a little concerning. A thicket of thorns and vines that tangled around the trees that stood before him, choking the life out of the colossal pillars of nature. He wouldn't be able to make out a single thing past the vines, and the wall was so thick that it essentially made a tunnel. There was no way around it- it seemed that the vine wall stretched as far to the sides as he could see, and so far up that they almost smothered the entirety of the trees. The tunnel in front of him was almost pitch black, lit only by the light coming from behind him and, what seemed like far too far away, the tiny, almost stifled light at the other end of the tunnel.

Well, this was almost definitely a trap.