After our day-long sparring session, we took a break. Sothis repaired the damage we'd done and returned the mirrors back to their positions.
I washed up in the river and washed my clothes. The sky turned from a bright, gorgeous orange to a calm, somber, dark blue. Like last time, a sea of stars covered the night sky.
Sothis mostly chilled in the house while I stood outside looking at the stars.
"Oh yeah, your hoodie." Sothis handed me my hoodie and a pair of fingerless gloves.
"I think these can better focus your flames to just your fingertips. It's pretty useful when it comes to shooting fire." Sothis explained.
I took both and put them on for the time being. It was getting a little chillier. Sothis then headed back inside.
I felt her presence—Luna if I'm not mistaken. She and Sothis had this extremely unique aura or presence that you could almost immediately tell was them. Looking behind me, there she was atop the house's small roof. She completely contrasted our surroundings. She was basically like an extremely bright light bulb emitting a large white aura.
We made eye contact. Luna still had that demented look in her eyes, but her smile was genuine. It honestly looked like she had bad intentions, but I couldn't sense that in the slightest.
"Hello, Comet." Luna opened the conversation, stepping down the roof and jumping off it.
"What's up?"
She looked at my face intently and then looked down, "I see your expression is how it's always been…"
She must be talking about my poker face or, what Sothis calls it, my hollow eyes.
"There's not much I can do about it now, right?" I replied, not really knowing what to say.
"That is correct," She looked back up, "So, how have you liked the domain so far?"
"It's an extremely calming and peaceful place besides my dreams and the trials."
Luna smiles, "That's very nice to hear." She said passionately.
There was a burning question that needed to be asked.
"Ever since we talked last time, I wondered if you could allow me to see that vision again. The one with the silhouettes."
"Although I would love to, I cannot just repeat that so casually. My apologies…" Luna responded, looking down again.
"Nah, it's fine. It's my fault for forgetting anyway."
Luna looked back up and motioned me to get closer. Her expression was that of dread.
"I'm sorry, please… forgive me… but I understand… if you don't…" Luna whispered in my ear, leaping to hug me like last time.
She disappeared like before into white particles similar to dandelion seeds.
I would understand why she apologized to me moments later…
— — — — — — — — — — — —
It's all your fault It's all your fault It's all your fault
It's all your fault It's all your fault It's all your fault
Your fault , Your fault , Your fault
I was paralyzed. It was a bombardment of voices echoing and ricocheting off the walls of my skull. Many things were said, but the main repeated phrase was, "It's all your fault."
They screamed in pain and agony, desperately clinging on to a last breath of hope.
Not only mentally but physically, I could feel the banding of my skull. It felt as if millions, no, far, far more, were all banging on the walls of my skull.
STOP!
STOP IT!
I'VE GOTTA HELP!
THIS IS UNNECESSARY SUFFERING!
I'll take their place instead!
But… forgive me.
It is my fault. I've got no one else to blame but myself.
Similar to last time, I could feel it. The suffering all of these beings had gone through, the unnecessary suffering. Pure agony poured into my being and attacked me from all angles.
Soon after, my vision became hazy, and I ended up passing out.
— — — — — — — —
I woke up and couldn't tell if my eyes were open. Chills ran down my spine, and goosebumps soon formed.
I was being watched again. Who was it? I don't think that's something I'd like to know.
Getting up was easier said than done. Similar to how it felt when fighting Thor, the pressure on my body was immense. It felt like sleep paralysis.
Eventually, the feeling of being watched increased tenfold, and what felt like hands began to slither and crawl all over my body.
Even speaking was impossible to do. My mouth would open, but nothing would come out.
The pressure increased even more to where I'd be crushed. Now, it felt like something surrounded me and aimed to squish me! It felt moist and stuck to me.
"Hehehehe…" "Hehehe…" "Hehehe…"
The sound of children giggling entered my ears, sending even more chills down my spine naturally.
I can't see them though! Why do they sound so close!?
"Hahahahaha…" "Hahahahaha…" "Hahahaha…"
They laughed even harder as everything else increased in intensity.
"!!!"
Something was impaling me slowly from my back! AGHH DAMN IT!
"Ring around the Rosie! A pocket full of posies!" They sang in unison.
That song… AGHH
"ASHES! ASHES!" They screamed out the lyrics.
AGH! FUCK!
They sang louder and laughed harder as the intensity increased, and whatever was impaling me got deeper.
My body was feeling numb…
Not just from one side… now from all sides… I was getting impaled from every angle…
AGHHH!!! UGH!!! why.. pl ea s..
I can't s peak , In eed to scream…
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
"ASHES! ASHES! ASHES! ASHES!"
…
— — — — — — — —
I woke up breathing heavily in the usual spot.
"Another one, right?" Sothis asked, already knowing the answer.
I nodded.
"AGH!" I could feel the pain from the dream merging with reality.
I had no way of telling when I'd have one of those types of dreams. I could have many of them consecutively, which is honestly horrifying. That dream couldn't have been someone else's life—maybe mine—but it seemed so strange that I refused to believe it.
"Everything hurts…" I muttered out in pain.
Sothis only looked down, sitting on one of the chairs, "From now on, I won't be able to heal you. I'm prohibited from doing much."
I figured as much, but relying on Sothis so much made me feel like I'd just been using him. For now, enduring it is what is best. We're still in the domain, so the healing process should be faster, but even now… I can still feel something watching me.
Sothis got up and walked to me, putting out his fist, "I know you're in pain right now, but this time we'll succeed, alright?"
I reluctantly fistbumped him, not because I didn't want to but because something else occupied my thoughts.
This time, though…