Clouded in a never-ending darkness —trust me— does no good to the nervous system.
An oppressive silence surrounded me, stretching infinitely into the void beyond.
But just then—
I remembered. I remembered where I was.
"Fuck!" I cursed under my breath.
I immediately tried to move, tried to fight against the weight of the dark mist pressing down on me, but my body refused to respond.
Something held me in place.
Unseen hands clutched at my limbs, pulling me deeper. And to make matters worse, the dark mist itself wasn't normal— it carried a strange corrosive property. Yet somehow, my body resisted it. If only barely...
'Damn it!'
I urged my body to move, bloodshot veins tracing their way across my sclera as I forced my body to fight against the unseen forces holding onto me. Forces that sought to consume me.
"Ukh—!"
As though irritated by my struggles, I felt a terrifying force slam onto me with such powerful force, it sent a wave of shock rippling through me.
"Kgha—!"
Coughing out a mouthful of blood, I realized that my bones were being corroded by the dark mist.
And that wasn't the end.
Next, it moved to my arm, peeling, corroding, specks of darkness crawling in through the open pores, eliciting a wave of pain through me.
As though in anticipation, the specks of light gathered into a cyclonic whirlwind before flooding towards me. At that moment, my eyes instinctively shut close.
And then—
"...."
I heard it.
A soft melodic whisper.
"Open your eyes," it said.
The voice crept into my mind, a strange rhythmic breath scraping against my neck.
I needn't be told. Whatever it was... was right behind me.
And then, the voice slowly grew jagged and unsettling:
"Open...."
"Open your eyes…"
"OPEN THEM—NOW...!"
I stood frozen. My breath hitching as my heart pounded in my ears.
I could feel it, I was slowly dissolving into nothingness. Yet.
Clink—!
I felt nothing. No pain. No agony. Absolutely nothing!
There and then, fear crept in as a chilling realization settled in.
If I were to die in this state, I wouldn't even be aware. And I'd a feeling that wasn't such a good thing.
And the worst part?
Something more terrifying was creeping in.
I could feel it. Its every step shook the foundation of the dark mist. Or... was it the dark mist...?
"Fuck it!"
I could give a fuck less.
Desperation clawed at the edges of my mind as I willed my body to move.
Yet no matter how hard I tried, I remained trapped- ensnared by the unseen shadows that sought to drag me into the abyss.
I gritted my teeth, panic mounting.
My mind raced for solutions, for a way out, but the entity... the dark mist... offered me no breathing space.
It rapidly closed in on me.
And now, I could feel it— Clearly, horrifyingly clearly.
Just then,
Unearthly arms jutted out of the ground beneath me, twitching, grasping... reaching.
Ba- thump! Ba- thump!
Fear shot through me, and my body shuddered in response.
'Fucking move you piece of shit!'
Now, I was really on the verge of loosing it.
After all, it was now nearly upon me.
But just when despair and desperation began to creep in.
Just when they ignited within me.
Flick—!
A spark of blue light erupted forth.
Otherworldly flames revolved around my body, surging through my veins with overwhelming force.
I needn't be told to know what it was.
The chaotic blue flame. One of the very few things that had kept me alive till this very moment.
Though I was still perplexed and certainly confused.
Wasn't it unwilling to respond to my commands? So... why? Why was it now reacting?
I had a lot of questions- like always. But I knew now was not the time for them.
As the flame engulfed me, wrapping around every inch of my body, realization settled in. And almost immediately, I began to fight against the shadowy hands holding onto me.
Veins wriggled across my body as the chaotic blue flame was pushed to its limit, revolving around my body at an astounding pace.
Just then, I felt it. Wherever the flame touched, the dark mist receded. As though in... fear
...It was afraid.
But why?
Various thoughts ran through my mind, but I shoved them down just as they came.
For now, I had more important tasks to focus on.
Such as escaping the eldritch horror still charging towards me!
I seized the chance, breath hitching as I pushed through the dark mist with everything I had. My hands clawed against the current as I propelled myself forward.
Step. Step.
My heart pounded in my ears, the unknown entity creeping closer. Too close...
In that instant—
My eyes widened as I lunged forward with everything I'd.
I barely managed to roll out of the dark mist, and into the Dune structure. Just in time.
The moment I lunged forward, creaking close the door. I felt a supernatural force slam onto the door, hurling me back with such powerful force, my bones snapped on impact with the wall.
Crack—!
Blood trailed down my lips as I slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood behind.
Drip...! Drip...!
It trickled down my forehead as I rested against the wall, heart hammering.
With a grim look, I braced myself for the dark mist. For... the eldritch horror.
Seconds stretched into minutes and yet, nothing happened.
Yet, I could feel it.
Supernatural detector. An ability I'd somehow develop after spending most of my lifetime running from eldritch horrors— said so.
It was still there. Waiting. Watching...
A frown tugged at my lips. Even at such a close distance, it wasn't attacking me.
Why...?
Because somehow, I had this ominous feeling that it could easily break open the dune structure. Yet... why wasn't it doing so?
...In that instant, my eyes widened, breath caught in my throat.
"...!!"
From the depths of the dark mist, they emerged.
Dark, writhing tentacles erupted from the void, moving with terrifying precision.
'Damn it!'
They whipped through the mist, stopping for a second, and then—
'Shit!'
They struck.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
In an instant, the dark abysmal tentacles coiled around a colossal creature, dragging it into the mist's depths.
The Néikth creature barely had time to struggle before the void swallowed it whole.
And then—
Silence. It lingered.
"...."
The mist itself stilled, as if nothing had ever happened.
If not for my trembling limbs and the lingering dread coiling around my chest, I might have been fooled.
As pain rippled through me, blood dripping onto the ground beneath me.
Drip. Drip.
I sat there, staring blankly into the endless dark mist.
And for a second there, I found it hard to believe that something so still, so quiet... could hide horrors beyond imagination.
Just how much worse can this cursed land get?
I shuddered.
"Huh..."
Letting out a slow breath, I staggered to my feet. My limbs trembled as I crept towards the window.
There, I froze mid-stare.
"...."
Somewhere in the depths of that abyss... something stared right back at me. An unseen presence.
I shuddered again, but at least now I knew one thing:
So long as I remained here, I was safe.
But how long could I stay here?
I would need food. I would need to move.
And more importantly—
If I stayed here, I would never escape this cursed and wretched land.
Staring into the dark mist, I knew I wouldn't have made it out alive if not for the flame that protected me from the mist's corrosive nature and against the hands hidden in its depths.
"Talking about the flame."
I frowned, reaching inward to sense it. Before long, I realized a fact that didn't really sit well with me.
Compared to before, the chaotic blue flame was pulsing weakly.
A wave of shock ran through me. The flame had been... weakened.
B-ut how?
I knew just how powerful the flame was on its own.
But now... now, it seems that bonding with me had somehow drained its energy.
I nodded.
It was the only explanation that made sense after all.
Slowly, an even more chilling realization settled in.
Without the flame, I had no chance against the dark mist.
And to make matters worse, there was still the dark hands hidden in the depths of the dark mist and even worse, the supernatural horrors inhabiting it.
Despair and desperation soon settled within me, crashing against my mind like relentless waves.
But I forced them down. For now, as powerful and dangerous as the dark mist was, I needn't be scared of it.
For now anyway...
At least, until I decided to leave this dune structure.
After all, I can't possibly stay stranded in some God-damned forsaken corner of this cursed land, forever.
Who even knows where this is?
Hell, even I had no idea. But one thing was very much certain.
I was somewhere I absolutely shouldn't be.
"Huff..."
I let out a light sigh.
"...What to do?" I wondered.
Normally, I would assess my surroundings, gather information, and make a plan.
But right now?
I had no strength left.
Exhaustion weighed down on me, heavier than the sea itself.
And to make matters worse.
I guessed this series of bad luck had only just begun.
"Ugh—!"
I groaned, frustration bubbling up within me.
An unsightly expression crept onto my face as I tried my best to shake off the various thoughts trying to cling onto the walls of my mind.
I'd had enough of them already.
And all this was only happening because of the damn flame!
And yet, without it, I knew I'd be dead.
"AARGH."
Anger. Frustration.
They burned within me- rippling through every fiber of my being. But as I lay there, staring at the dark, lifeless void above...
All those frantic thoughts slowly dissolved into nothingness.
Heck, I was too tired to care.
I knew after today, my nightmare would begin anew. So I might as well allow myself some moments of respite before then.
A faint smile crossed my lips as exhaustion pulled me into unconsciousness.
And then, before I knew it—
I was swallowed whole by an endless darkness.