**Chapter 23: Descent into Madness**

As I lay on the ground, my body shaking with sobs, I felt a sense of detachment wash over me. The scene before me was like a twisted play, with Bakugo and Dabi fighting in the background, their voices muffled and distant. The doppelganger stood over me, its eyes gleaming with a malevolent intensity, as if it was feeding off my despair. I tried to scramble backward, but my body felt heavy, unresponsive. The pain in my chest was a dull ache, a reminder of the knife that still lodged in my heart. I couldn't seem to process what was happening, why I had stabbed myself, or why I couldn't seem to stop crying. The doppelganger's laughter grew louder, more maniacal, and I felt my mind begin to unravel. I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, with no escape from the horror that surrounded me. Bakugo's shouts, Dabi's taunts, and the doppelganger's cackling all blended together in a cacophony of sound that threatened to consume me. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the madness, but it only seemed to intensify the sensory overload. I felt a presence looming over me, and I opened my eyes to find the doppelganger's twisted face inches from mine. "You're not strong enough," it whispered, its breath cold and rank. "You'll never be strong enough." I tried to scream, but my voice was barely a whisper. The doppelganger's words cut deep, striking at the heart of my deepest fears. I was weak, fragile, and broken. The thought echoed through my mind, a mantra of self-doubt that threatened to destroy me. Bakugo's voice cut through the chaos, his words a lifeline in the darkness. "Katsuki, no! Don't listen to it! You're strong, you're brave, and you're mine!" He grabbed the doppelganger's arm, spinning it away from me, and for a moment, I felt a glimmer of hope. But the doppelganger's words had already taken root, sowing seeds of doubt and fear in my mind. I felt myself slipping further into madness, my grip on reality tenuous at best. The world around me began to distort, colors bleeding together in a surreal landscape. I saw myself standing outside, surrounded by the ruins of a city. The sky was a deep, foreboding grey, and the air was thick with an otherworldly energy. I was alone, with no sign of Bakugo or the others. The doppelganger's laughter echoed through the desolate landscape, a reminder that I was never truly alone. I took a step forward, my heart pounding in my chest. The ground beneath my feet was uncertain, shifting and treacherous. I knew I had to keep moving, to find a way out of this twisted world, but the fear of what lay ahead was paralyzing. The city stretched out before me, a labyrinth of twisted metal and crumbling concrete. I took another step, and then another, my heart pounding in my chest. I was searching for a way out, but I wasn't sure if I was running towards salvation or further into the depths of madness. The doppelganger's laughter grew fainter, but I knew it was still out there, waiting for me to make my next move.