Red had traveled back to the cave where Snowy had taken him and rested for a while.
He felt some guilt for what he had done, but it didn't consume him.
His main focus was on what to do next.
He pondered on following the moon's eye, as a visceral feeling pushed him to, though he didn't know if it was dangerous or not.
There was still so much he didn't know, but where else would he go?
He decided that he would do it and bring Snowy's body with him… to bury it.
He didn't remember why he should bury Snowy; he just knew it was right.
Though, he didn't really know what was right anymore.
It was all so… confusing.
Red ceased any further thought and stood up.
He walked over to Snowy's body. which he brought with him to the cave and hoisted over his shoulder.
He had wrapped some skins around the head to stop it from bleeding everywhere, just in case someone tried to follow the trail, assuming there were other people in this place.
Without any more preparation required, he left the cave.
***
He had traveled about 3 miles; no worms had interrupted him.
But that didn't make him feel at ease; in fact, he was in constant anticipation of the worst-case scenario.
And that is exactly what happened.
Rumble!
Rumble!
He heard what sounded like a constant rumbling of thunder hurtling towards him.
He turned around to see what it was and immediately wished he hadn't.
A massive, crimson sandstorm was churning in the distance.
It was easily 10,000 feet tall, likely taller, and traveling at 70-80 miles per hour.
He ran as fast as he could away from it, his heart pounding in his chest.
Rumble!
Rumble!
The rumbling became much louder as the storm swiftly approached him.
No matter how fast he ran, the storm was faster, but for some reason, Red couldn't accept his fate.
He had killed for this life, and he wasn't going to give it up to some cloud of sand.
His legs became exhausted as a burning sensation crept into them and soon his lungs.
At this point, the storm was so close that he could see it towering over him.
Soon, it was only twenty feet away.
Then ten feet away.
Then five.
And eventually… zero.
The sand quickly invaded Red's mouth and went down his windpipe.
No matter how many times he gasped for air, all he breathed was sand.
He fell to his knees, eyes so full of sand he couldn't even cry.
The storm came down on him with fury, lacerating his skin in multiple areas.
He internally begged for mercy, but in this world, mercy was something only you could give yourself.
But he had already lost that chance.
***
Red stared up at the sky, lying on his back.
The storm had passed; he was still alive.
He hated that he was alive.
But he couldn't end it himself; he was too scared.
Or just too human.
Red knew he was already beyond redemption; he had taken a life, two lives in fact.
Snowy's… and his own, in a way.
But somehow, he's still alive.
Why?
And why… can't he accept it?
Why does he need to beg for redemption?
If he were a god, couldn't he go fix all his sins?
In that moment he knew exactly what he needed to do.
He must become a god, no matter what it takes.
He would kill people if he had to, because when he becomes a god, he could fix it all.
Becoming a god must be the only true path to redemption.
And he will walk it.
***
Red did not stop to rest and set out in the direction of the moon's eye.
He left Snowy's body behind; it would only slow him down.
He didn't need to worry about sinning anymore; he could fix it later.
And fixing it required sin.
But… it must be the correct path.
Right?
Red continued walking; miles and miles passed.
He was fueled by pure determination.
He thought that the moon's eye must be guiding him down the path of godhood.
As he got closer to his destination, a large crimson mountain was visible in the distance.
It towered over everything in the visible area, casting a dominant shadow across the land to the east of it.
And the moon's eye was looking at that exact mountain.
On top of it, a shining blue light glimmered through the thick clouds.
His instinct to follow the moon's gaze must have been there for a reason.
And hopefully, he was correct that whatever was on top of that mountain would bring him a step closer to godhood.
***
Red eventually reached the foot of the mountain, marveling at its size.
He began to question if he should really do this, but the thought of redemption crossed his mind, and he regained all of the motivation he had before.
After that, he decided to climb.
Red reached out and grabbed hold of the side of the mountain.
He then reached for a hold above that one and secured it.
He repeated this over and over as he slowly ascended the face of the mountain.
The air got progressively colder and thinner until it felt like he was breathing fire.
The skin on Red's hands tore open, though the blood blended in with the crimson rocks.
Even as tears broke through his eyes, he kept climbing.
He was driven by guilt.
Red remembered how he killed Snowy, simply because Snowy was a potential threat to his life.
That was a sin, without a doubt.
He deserved the pain, even if he was on his way to redemption.
Until he was actually redeemed, the sin would not be erased.
"Finally…"
Red reached the top of the mountain, pulling himself up for the last painful time.
His arms were covered in blood and sweat, bone barely visible.
On top, a shining blue monolith stood proudly.
It seemed to radiate hope, though red was uncertain if it really did.
Either way, it lured him like a moth.
He stood up and walked towards it in a trance-like state, but as he got closer, a buzzing sound in his head intensified.
His vision became blurry and distorted, and paired with the buzzing, it gave him a horrible headache.
Soon, he lost control of his body and reached out to touch the blue monolith.