Expanding into the endless horizon, the forest behind Kail was a lure for thrill seekers and adventures
Trees blocking sunlight and thick foliage hindering navigation, it had an astounding reputation for missing persons and lost hikers cases.
Dumb teenagers, skeptics, and fools looking for void creatures, lost to the forest never to be found again.
Yet, wearing a dark brown jeans and light green shirt that blended pretty well with the forest, Matthew vaults over a fallen tree trunk while humming.
Despite his attire, his bright red hair stands out no matter the environment.
"Hmmm~hmm~~hhmmhhuuu." Matthew humms as he takes out his phone. On the lock screen was a picture of a family of three.
A man with blonde hair and a wide smile. Wrapping his arm around a woman with a newborn in her hand. Her fluffy red hair was loose as it rested over her shoulder.
The man was looking at the camera but the woman was focused on the small baby in her arms. Covered in a blanket the child held onto a finger of the woman.
Matthews's eye lingered on his mother for a brief moment before he unlocks the phone to check the map.
He was in the middle of the forest while his destination still ten to twenty minutes away.
A short sigh escaped his mouth as he complained,
"I should have bought a few more bottles of water."
Matthew carefully navigated through the uneven terrain, yet, he run through his supplies quicker than he expected. His face was flushed red, his shirt stick to his body like a wet paper.
"It will be cloudy they said. It will be breezy they said."
He took a peek at the sky while grumbling.
Hidden behind the leaves the shade in the forest provided a small relief from the sun.
"Shitty forecast."
Matthew moved through the terrain and came across a large rock under a lush tree.
"This will do," said Matthew deciding to take a break. Wiping the sweat off his face, he climbed on the rock. Taking out the last bottle from the bag Matthew chugged the water with large gulp and pouring the rest over his head.
He also took out a small piece of candy and popped it in his mouth. Looking over the man map again, he was nearly twenty minutes away from the location.
"Looks like the trail is just up head." Matthew says while leaning slightly against the rock. The shade helped him cooled down a bit. Jumping off the rock he quickly made his way towards the trail.
It was a steep hill trail with a stone path, twisting and turning in a snake-like pattern. The trail starts at a gate with a large hanging board. Carved in bold letters were the words,
[Kail Mountain Hike].
It was written in the native language of Hima. Once a tourist attraction but it became deserted after the Jaelyn Cult Incident.
'Man the more I think about it the less reliable this seems.' An involuntary sigh escapes his lips as he walked up to the gates before inspecting the frame.
Large beams of wood, rotten and old with rusted hinges being the only remaining proof of a door.
"Props to you for still standing." Matthew patted the wooden beam as he walked through and stepped on the stone paths.
*Step* *step*
Echoes of his steps ring out in the silent forest as he slowly made his way up.
It took another ten minutes of walking before Matthew finally reached the place.
He stood before a small cave opening.
"Finally! My legs were getting sore," Taking out a flashlight, Matthew walked inside.
The entrance was littered with trash. From small water bottles to dead carcasses of mice. Or at least that's what Matthew think they were.
The deeper he went into the cave the more littered it became. Until he walked into the widening part of it. His lights fell on some sleeping bags.
'Damp and crumbly. Looks like whoever put it hasn't come back for it.' Matthew mused as he moved deeper.
The damp smell and humidity was unbearable. Pulling out a handkerchief Matthew covered his nose while walking forward.
Soon Matthew reached the end of the cave. His light fell on the stone slab with a small torii gate over a skull of a creature. Thankfully for the sake of his sanity it was not a human skull. Even so, a slight shiver ran down his spine.
Tilted slightly to the side as if gazing at the corner, it rests peacefully on the stone slab.
Although a bunch of snuffed-out candles surrounding it didn't go unnoticed by Matthew. It still makes his frown in contemplation.
'Someone made an offering recently.' Matthew moved his light around to confirm his suspicion. Unfortunately apart from the pristine but slightly used candles, no other signs caught his eyes.
"I hope I'm in the right spot." Matthew put down his light and took off his bags. Taking out a bowl and a small plastic food container, he set up an offering.
It was a simple dish. Of rice, a few pieces of meat, vegetables, and some sweets.
It looked rather appetizing but considering the place, Matthew would rather go hungry.
Finishing the preparation, Matthew took out a paper. He shined the light on the paper to see the words clearly.
"Okay. It's now or never." Matthew hyped himself up when from the corner of his memory a conversation surfaced.
'It is an Altar to worship the Abyss. The incantation will attract the lesser abyssal deities. Do not answer it's question. Just ask yours and return.'
'What about the price?'
'Depending on your luck, it will vary .'
'Oh! That's great! I'm always lucky.'
'Tch. Brat. Just don't push your luck. One question. No more.'
'No promises.'
"One question." Matthew muttered as his eyes subconsciously fell on the skull. Its eyes were dark and hollow.
A silent chill ran down his spine.
It was tilted towards him. Like it was gazing at him.
"Was it always facing me?" Matthew could swear it was tilted towards the corner. But he quickly shook the feeling and shone it back at his paper.
''As long as I get my answer." With a deep breath, he calmed himself and started reading.
"I call to the beyond,
Into the darkness.
Darkness that resided in everyone's heart,
Darkness that hides beneath the civilization,
The scourge of reality,
Answer my call."
After speaking he waited.
A few seconds passed. Nothing happened.
Minutes passed. Nothing happened.
In the silence, the only thing he could hear was the distant drop of water dripping on the cave floor.
After a while, Matthew furrowed his brows.
"Did she just scammed me?" Matthew thanks back to the instructions. And then slapped himself on the forehead.
"The stupid candles."
Matthew shuffled in his bag and bought out a lighter. He quickly lit all the candles and started again.
"I call to the beyond,
Into the darkness.
Darkness that resided in everyone's heart,
Darkness that hides beneath the civilization,
The scourge of reality,
Answer my call."
Matthew looked ahead as he shone the light at the skull. Waiting for any reactions.
Meanwhile,
Outside the cave, a gentle breeze picked up. The cries of the birds echoed in the forest as they all started flying. Flying away desperately. Flying away from the mountain. Flying as far as possible from the cave.
Kail was a big town with one road connecting to the Capital City. As people went on about their lives they started to notice something.
Birds. Hundreds of them. Flying overhead. Away from the mountain not caring about obstacles as they slammed into buildings, electric poles, and so on.
Dogs started barking. Cats hissed. Caged bird flapped around in the cage, screaming. Trying to get out.
Many were stumped at the harrowing sight as a gust of wind sweeped over the town.
Inside the cave,
A sudden gust of wind swiftly blew out the candles. The flashlight flickered before going out.
'What-'
An immidate sense of dread and horror crept up on Matthew.
'I'm going to die.'
An overwhelming sense of death overwhelmed him as his body hit the floor. Unconscious.
...
Darkness.
Pitch black that stretched into an endless horizon without any feature or gradient.
It wasn't an absence of light. It was simply nothing but darkness.
In that nothingness, Matthew's conscious float's about. Unmoving, without any signs of life. Yet completely aware of himself.
In the endless void, he could feel himself. His body, his mind. Yet all he could see was the endless darkness.
In this endless void, he was stuck. His eyes couldn't dart around. His hand couldn't move. His body won't budge.
In this endless void, he was alone.
In this endless void, there was only silence. There was no echo, no wind, no land, no sky.
As he floats in this endless void, all he could do was think. That's all he was. A thought in the endless void. A mere drop in the vast emptiness. He can feel it.
The feeling of sinking slowly. Sinking into the nothingness. Losing his sense of self. Losing himself into the darkness. Becoming one with the vast emptiness.
.
.
.
It started faint. Barely a whisper. Something to be ignored. Slowly it became more noticeable. Like a faint sound from the back of your mind.
Until it finally rings out. Deafening all the senses, sounds echoes in the vast emptiness.
Screams.
Thousands upon thousands of screams.
A small light appeared in the vast emptiness. A memory that refused to disappear among the darkness.
From the sea of emptiness, the memory plays out, vivid and horrifying. Illuminating in the darkness. It was a scenery.
A scenery of blood, fire, and monsters. A scenery of men, women, and children screaming for help. Crying. Trying to crawl out of the fire. Some rendered into ashes while others crawled out that firey hell.
Yet those who managed to escape got picked up by monsters. Creatures from the Abyss ran rampant as they bit people in half and rip out their guts.
It was hell incarnate. A disaster. An apocalyptic nightmare.
Yet even among this scenery, one voice stood out.
"Don't worry! I'm here. Let me help." Her voice is gentle, reassuring the screaming voice.
"You're safe here." Her soothing voice calmed the scream.
From the vast emptiness, a pair of eyes opened. He looked at his memory.
He remembered each second felt like an hour. Each moment of agony felt like eons of suffering.
Despite his blurry vision, he could see someone. Despite losing his sense of self, he still remembers his mother.
Her pale skin was turned ashen as the fire charred her skin. Yet her eyes were void of any pain. She dragged the injured man under the tree. Her voice was calm and filled with warmth.
"Stay hidden and keep your voice down." The man nodded as his eyes showed a look of awe and relief.
Seeing the man calming down, she turned away as her once smooth bright red hair now looked dull and messy. Her left arm twisted in a different direction yet her steps didn't falter. Soon she came near him and caressed his head as she spoke.
"Don't make a noise. Stay hidden and no matter what don't make a noise. Mommy will protect you..."
His hand reached out to take her hand. It passes through hers. It was just a memory after all.
Her tears started falling as she slowly pulled away. She stood defiantly before him. Her figure burned in his memory as she stood before the monster.
As the memory shatters, light explodes into the sea of emptiness as Matthew snapped his eyes open.
[Marvellous!! Truly Marvellous.]
Mattew opned his eyes. He was floating in the same emptiness, except his entire body glowed.
''What the fuu..."
[Such strong sense of self! Truly marvelous.] the voice said cheerfully.
"What-where am I?" Matthew looked around trying to figure out the situation. The voice appeared in his mind but he couldn't see anyone around him.
[It doesn't matter. What matters is that you...]
"Like hell, it doesn't. Who are you? Where am I? What... hmm?" Matthew suddenly felt his mouth become sealed.
[It's like all of you are cut from the same cloth. Listen. Where are you, what is this place? None of this matters. Because none of you will remember this encounter for a while.]
Matthew frowned at the voice. He could feel his lips but he couldn't speak.
[What matters is the future. The Abyss has been shattered and the Lord has perished. All seven of you are chosen as a candidate to replace The Lord.]
'Abyss? Seven? Lord?' Matthew couldn't help but frown. He looked around and sure enough. There were six more individuals covered in light. Exuding light just as him.
[Only you seven managed to keep your sense of self in The Shattered Abyss.]
The voice kept speaking.
[This is truly marvellous!]
Matthew felt a pull as the voice spoke with a peal of laughter.
[Grow my dear candidates! Grow and surpass the limits of your world! Only then you'll be worthy to inherit the title of my Lord.]
And with that Matthew's light vanished as the darkness claimed him once more.
...
With a loud gasp, Matthew widens his eyes. Laying face first on the ground he pushes off as he looks around. Confusion and panic is evident as he tries to remember the last thing he did. His eyes fell on the red and yellow sky. The sun was slowly dipping down the horizon. He looked around trying to figure out where he was.
The stone path was the same, the mountain was the same except. Matthew looked behind. The cave entrance was caved in. As if there was a landslide.
Matthew grabbed his head as a headache assaulted his brains.No matter how much he tried, he couldn't remember when he got here. Nor he could remember what was inside the cave. There was no memory of him ever going inside a cave. Just standing outside.
He wanted to linger around, but his body moved on its own. Forcing him to get away from here. Forcing him to retrun home.