"Ah, welcome back, welcome back! Nice to see you again, Tobi. How's it hanging?"
The man of the mist greeted him with an easygoing grin, his form like fog itself. Tobi stared at him, utterly flabbergasted.
"W-What? I just fell asleep," he said, confused.
"Oh, yes, you did. But see, I need you to wake up, Tobi."
Tobi furrowed his brows. "Why?"
"Because even when you're awake… you're not really awake." John's voice was light, but there was something beneath it, something deeper. Then, without further explanation, he placed something in Tobi's hand. A flower.
A Lily.
"Anyway, here you go. Okay, see ya, friend," John said simply, waving as if this was all perfectly normal.
And then
Tobi awoke, disoriented; his wife's warmth pressed against him. His mind was foggy, hazy, but as he shifted, he felt something in his palm. He slowly unclenched his fingers.
There, resting in his hand, was the wilted lily.
He let out a soft, bewildered laugh.
D-Did I pick this up from last time…?
Before he could dwell on it further, Eliora groaned beside him, her hand instinctively reaching for him. The moment she found him, she pulled him back into her embrace.
"I wanna sleep more…" she murmured sleepily.
Tobi sighed, letting himself sink into her warmth for a little while longer. It was peacefully comforting, even. But eventually, he got up, much to her dismay. She whined pitifully, pulling him back toward the bed in protest.
The display was undeniably cute. He smiled.
"Are you tired from last night?" he teased.
"O-Of course I am, you meanie," she huffed, burying herself beneath the blanket.
Chuckling, he stood and began dressing. "Shall I make you some tea?"
"Mhm." She nodded. Then, after a pause, she added, "Can you bring it up?"
Tobi nodded, leaving her confused.
R-Right, she's blind… His mind was still sluggish, not quite in the right place yet.
"Yes, I will," he finally responded before heading downstairs.
But as he passed the portraits along the hallway, he stopped.
Something was off.
The missing portrait was back but it wasn't the same. It was different. He didn't know how, but the man who had been in it before… wasn't there now.
J-Jeez… what's happening?
A creeping unease crawled up his spine, but he shook it off and continued into the kitchen. He grabbed a black tea bag for himself and a white one for Eliora, boiled the water, and poured it into two mugs. A bit of honey, a few slow stirs, and voilà, the tea was done.
Before heading back up, he hesitated. He lifted his cup of black tea, peering into it, half-expecting to see those chilling, empty, white eyes staring back at him.
…Nothing.
He exhaled in relief and took a sip, savouring the warmth. Then, carefully, he carried Eliora's tea upstairs.
"Here you go," he said, handing her the mug.
She took it happily, sipping contentedly. "Are you in a better mood today?"
"Yeah, I am." He smiled.
She beamed. "Is it because of what we did last night?" she teased, leaning into him still bare from before.
He chuckled. "Well… that's one reason."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Is there another? Am I not good enough?"
He smirked. "No, you were perfect as always."
Eliora blushed before quickly turning her attention back to her tea, her fingers tightening around the warm mug.
Silence hung between them as they both drank their tea. Tobi glanced at Eliora, studying her carefully.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Just relax."
"Alright then, let's go downstairs." He reached for her hand, and she took it, standing only to suddenly stop.
"W-Wait, I'm not dressed," she realized, flustered.
"R-Right," he stammered, completely forgetting that detail.
She quickly dressed, and once ready, they resumed their descent down the steps.
They plopped onto the couch, and Tobi grabbed the remote, turning on the TV.
"Oh, another slasher movie," he mused.
"You won't get scared this time, right?" she teased only for a sudden jumpscare to happen and the sound roared.
She yelped, clinging onto him instinctively.
Tobi raised a brow. "No, I don't think so."
Eliora blushed, embarrassed.
He returned his focus to the movie. Everything was normal, just another run-of-the-mill slasher. Generic teenage shenanigans, cheesy comedy, all the usual tropes. But then the villain appeared.
Tobi's breath hitched.
His blood ran cold.
On the screen stood that shadow.
Its eyes radiated fury and were completely white. Chains coiled tightly around its arms, pinning it to the ground. Even bound, it gripped a scythe, its blade gleaming in the dim light. The shadow pointed it directly at him.
It struggled. It took slow, agonizing steps forward.
The chains strained.
The chains cracked.
The chains snapped.
It was breaking free. It was coming for him.
Panic surged through Tobi. Without thinking, he snatched the remote and shut the TV off.
"What happened?" Eliora asked, confused.
"O-Oh, it was just… really scary," he lied.
She laughed. "Well then, let's-"
The TV screen shattered.
Glass exploded across the room. Tobi barely had time to react as he shielded Eliora with his own body, his eyes locked on the shadow that had stepped through the broken screen.
The shadow stood before him, scythe in hand, ready to strike.
It was real.
It was here.
Was it going to kill him or her?
Tobi's breath hitched.
He braced himself, arms tightening around Eliora, prepared to take the blow-
And then, someone appeared.
A woman with long black hair blocked the shadow's path.
"M-Mother…" Tobi murmured in shock.
The shadow snarled, its fury undeterred. It fought against her intervention, desperate, relentless. The scythe's arc never faltered; it was inches from reaching Eliora, inches from severing her from this world.
Then
Everything shattered.
The walls. The floor. The sky.
His world collapsed.
His home, his wife, all of it was nothing but an illusion. A perfectly crafted lie.
The truth clawed at him, suffocating.
No.
No, he didn't want to accept this.
He refused to accept this.
But it was undeniable.
As the dream crumbled, the only thing left standing was the shadow. Chains reappeared, coiling around it once more. It thrashed, resisting, but it was no use. The darkness swallowed it whole, dragging it into the abyss.
Tobi could only watch, helpless.
And then, gentle hands cupped his cheeks. Warm. Familiar.
His mother.
She pulled him into her embrace, holding him close, soothing him, as if he were a child again.
"It's just a bad dream," she whispered.