POV of Ares Pridelyn:
Clutching my chest, I awoke from a deep sleep. I was drenched in sweat, and a burning sensation spreaded across my body. My other hand rested against the side of my head in aid of its frequent pulses. My eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the bedroom as a quiet and numbing static ran back and forth between my ears.
A silent fear crept over me. It was almost invisible due to its swift and poise nature—a nature that masked its owner's disturbing presence. Mimicking friendship, it came behind me and leaned on my shoulder, but mirroring a devil, it crept behind my shoulder and marked me with its ownership.
Tingling like a low voltage of electricity coursing through my body, an uncomfortable and nerve-racking chill slithered down my spine. Letting out a sudden gasp, followed by heavy breathing, I gripped my chest harder. The clenching of my teeth tightened as my eyes widened.
What exactly is this... hell that I'm in? I thought. It seemed as if it would trot behind me and pull at me when I'm vulnerable. Inescapable, it followed like a shadow but grabbed me like a black hole. Day by Day, it sucked me in and showed me things that I didn't want to see, emotions that I didn't want to feel, and voices that confused me.
A tear plummeted from my eye before being joined by a small stream of more tears that would trickle down my cheek. The events of my nightmare were still recent. Their loathsome presence lingered in the back of my mind as hundreds of voices cried out. Their cries and screams—filled with intense agony and anguish—sought help; they were cries of hope: a dying and draining feeling that ate its victims from the inside-out in the merciless times of turmoil.
The past and the present were merging together like a singularity as I saw both: unfamiliar visions and haunting memories that would often occur in brief fragments.
"Your resolve is impressive," the cloaked man said.
I realized I was back in Aerodom—reliving the same tragedy in which I was unable to defend it. My body felt as if it had exceeded its physical limits, but even then, the pain could never amount to the immeasurable willpower running rampant inside of me. I refused to sit down and accept defeat.
"Very well then," the man said as he walked toward me. "I shall put you out of your misery."
No, I yelled inside of my head. My eyes felt as if they were bulging out of my head. I could feel my teeth almost cracking from the pressure of my jaw clenching them together. A swift pain shot up my muscles; they expanded and contracted tighter than ever. It became harder to breathe. I felt an enormous explosion generate from around me as a shockwave of flames raced in every direction.
A large crater had formed underneath me; violent flames engulfed me. Raging out of control, they increased in amount and size as they attempted to swallow everything else nearby; pulling myself up from the ground, I stood. My mind was fixated on one thing: stopping the invader at all costs—even if I had to sacrifice my life.
"After all, death is the greatest release for someone born in such a cruel world." He said before extending his arm to me.
"Penetrabile incinera—"
The air in front of me stifled nimbly as a powerful flare blinded me... my sight had faded into absolute darkness. A brief ringing sound preceded it before morphing into a lifeless silence.
The darkness lasted for a while before gradually pulling me into another demise. Visually, I was unfamiliar with it but it felt similar to the visions I had yesterday. Inside of this demise, death lurked at every corner. However, instead of being an active entity, it seemed to take on the form of an omnipresent being.
The world trembled. A bright flash consumed the demise. Swallowing everything inside, it spread like a seemingly infinite sky. A powerful thunder swept through the light. My body felt light and a calming sensation gently flooded through me. It was now floating as there was no ground beneath it for support.
"Sometimes, you have to endure great suffering to accomplish your goals," a voice said. It sounded similar to mine, but a bit deeper and more refined. The voice didn't seem to be talking to me. It sounded like it was addressing someone else.
"I see, but is your suffering really worth it?" another voice said. It was a bit deeper and more mysterious, but it was aided with a calm ominous tone.
"Yes," the voice responded.
It had sounded like a definite answer: one that a person would die behind.