Am I still alive? That was the first question I asked myself as I opened my eyes to a blurry but bright light. I had to blink several times before my eyes adjusted and formed a clear picture. A full moon was shining down on me through a hole. Not much bigger than the moon itself. As I looked around where my eyes could move I noticed several more holes that were in the wooden ceiling. I tried to move my body to see what was around me but I coudnt. My body refused to answer me. So all that I had was myself and my thoughts. Time to think about my family and how I wished I would have never left my village. What about that I coudnt leave my home most of the time. It would have been better than even a single second of this torture. I waited for hours just thinking about what could have been. A life without this stupid illness. And could I see this world the same as before? It is now clear to me that I grew up in a protective home not having seen a single second of the real world. I slowly could move my fingers, my arms, legs and finally my entire body. It was still a slug to move but I could finally stand up with great effort. But what I see was enough to bring me to my knees. I wanted to puke, my body wanted to but nothing came out.
In the room my three captuerers lay dead on the ground with holes in their body where their blood, organs came out. One only had half of his head left, another was missing an arm and his chest is completly gone. And of the third had only his legs left. Not only them. The entire room was pierced by numerous holes in all kind of shapes and sizes. I stood up again and walked towards the door without wanting to look at those three again.
What happened here? I wondered. Nothing made sense. What happened as I was unable to do anything. And what kind of nonsense did I dream again? Who would kill them in such a cruel way? Many question no answer but most important right now is that I get out of here.
I walked through the door, through a hallway, ignoring the doors left and right, down the stairs on the left which lead me to big room on the ground floor. There wasnt much except through a few chairs and a chouch and few windows. Every centimeter was covered with dust except for the direct way to the door and the few chairs. I followed the path and went through the door which lead me outside. I looked around and all that I could see were trees. Trees? There are no trees only darkness! Everything changed around me. From a perfect picture to just pure darkness. Now I wasnt even able to see my hand infront of me. I grabbed behind me to find the house again and after taking numerous short I was able to grabe the door pushing it open. I held onto the wall on the left side and followed it on all fours until I reached the corner where I sat down. i clutched my knees and made myself as small as possible.
I dont know anymore. I began to cry wishing I never left the village. My parents, my friends why coudnt they be here right now when I need them. I coudnt handle it. Why does it have to be me? In all my desperation I thought back to the only thing that can help me keep my sanity. The dream that began all this.
Seeked by the shadows, wasn't it? He did really ment me? Am I now a shadow that will be hunted by the light for the rest of my life?
I shooked my head. What a ridiculous Idea. But what else did I have left? What else do I have to explain my situation I find myself in right now.
Dad, mum help me! Where are you? I cried and cried until I fell asleep.
...
I found myself back in a huge open square surrounded by small wooden houses. I looked around directly recognize where I am. Everything was lit up by the sun shining down from above but strangely at first glance I see no one. I am back in my hometown just like I remember it. I ran to the right between to houses along the small way and came to my own house. I excidetly opened the door and ran towards the dining room. But before I stepped into it i stopped as I heared the voices. It was the one of my mother and father and me? I looked around the corner and I coudnt believe it. All three of us were sitting at the table eating. I called out to them even stepping into the dining room but they dont seem to notice me. I went towards them trying to grab the arm of my father but even my touch was answered by nothing. He went on with his conversation.
I fall asleep didnt I? So this is a dream?
I went back out of my home and came back to the big square and there in the middle sat a dark shadow in the form of a human. He sat with his legs crossed and his fists touched each other in the middle. In the meantime more and more people came out of their homes and went to work or talking. But none of them noticed either me nor the human like shadow to whom I tried talking to but he didnt answer. He stayed in this same position for minutes after which he moved for the first time. He opened his half open fists and now laid his open palms over each other. Several minutes go bye where the shadow moved again. Above one of his palms which seperated slowly began to emerge a ball of darkness that hovered above. A second later it vanished and at first I didnt know what happened. But after looking into the direction the human shape points towards. There I saw a crater and the home that stood there before vanished.
I tried piecing everything together. Is this magic? Does shadow magic excist? Does he want me to learn from him? Does this mean the morning my entire life changed I actually awakened and now could be able to be a mage? I looked at the shadow before me looked at him with expectation. When this is real and not only my imagination maybe I could return back to my village and life the rest of my life together in peace. The shadow seem to responed and repeated the same movement again but now not destroying a house but a big reagion of the forest that was visible from here. I attempt to mimick the movement he shows but nothing happens. There seemed to be nothing extraordinary with his motion but he seems to understand something I dont. Trying it again and again there doesnt seem to happen anything. What am I doing wrong? A few more times I repeated the same thing believing that it will change but not long after I felt like the shadow is staring at me. My vision changed in an instant to the middle of the village to beeing surrounded by trees and infront of me was a black wall that streched into the sky. The shadow was pointing at me and afterwards into the black wall infront of me.
I didn't know what it wanted from me? I can't go through a wall, can I? I look at him with a puzzled expression but he just kept pointing forwards. Taking a step forward I carefully tried touching the black wall but instead of meeting a hard surface my fingers melted into the black substance. It was like a warm liquid that took me into its embrace. It was a creepy feeling I wasn't comfortable with so I wanted to took back my hand. But instead of letting me go, I sank deeper into the dark liquid. Panicking, I struggled against it, even crying out to the dark figure for help but it did nothing except for watching me. I was helpless until even my head was dragged into the dark.
I panicked more and more as I didn't knew what is happening to me. I could feel my entire body and could move it as well. It's just that it is all pointless as nothing happened and I am still trapped and surrounded by an eternal darkness. I could see, feel, taste the liquid around me. After each passing time frame I could feel how my body begins to relax and even my mind was accepting the darkness. I didn't concentrate on anything but the darkness I'm in front of and just right before my eyes slowly appeared a complex web of strings rotating around themselves. Now I could feel it but not believe it. This is me? I dont know how I could know but I just know that this is me. No that is wrong. That isn't me … These are the shadows inside of me but at the same time me. I felt the connection, tried reaching out to it, and suddenly I was back at the center of my town with the black figure in front of me repeating the same movements.
Not really knowing what to do I went into the same position. Crossed my legs and my fist met in the middle without my fingers touching my palm. I closed my eyes trying to understand the point of this position. Even the shadow stayed several minuts still like a statue. I tried the same but what else did I expect. Just 2 minutes only feeling a fleeting sense of whatever that is inside of me my arms fell to the floor. I coudn't hold them still anymore. They twitched uncontrolably and were heavy as if rockes where bound to my arms.
Then as I opened my eyes again my village vanishe and I am one again left in the dark. But now I could feel the shadows in my surroundings. But only certain parts. Few places seemed to be completly unreachable for me. So I can guess that light is in those places? But shoudnt I be able to see the light then? Did that training do this to me? But what was that ball of darkness it showed me? My arms were still sore so I had no luck with moving them. But now I have to think about how I get out of here. I got here somehow so there is a way out. Did they really move me through the forest without being attacked by a monster? Those bandits are normal humans, arent they? So they coudnt possibly fight against one of them. So its save to move along that path. But I will still have to wait till night fall. Right now I dont really feel the sun but its definitly a bright day.
I have a lot of time so I better concentrate to learn what the shadow really wanted to teach me. I waited a few hours until my arms recovered and tried the same position again. Minutes went by as I concentrated solely on myself. And there I felt a little pain? There was a small spot on my chest that I coudnt feel anymore. Its like a blank space and something is fighting against it? I want to know more but i cant. There are just a bunch of blurry feelings I have, but nothing that helped me to make sense of it. It didnt hurt so I ignored it for now. My goal now is to sense that ball of strings it should deepen the connection between me and the shadows or that is what I think right now. Nobody explains me anythings so I just have to guess. Continuing to hold this position I feel a straight string beneath me. Not a ball of string flowing around randomly, but a single string not moving around. Is that what the shadow wanted from me? What do I do now? Can I do anything with it? I grabbed the string from beneath me but instead of being under my control how I hoped it to be, the string wrapped around my arms forming a single dot somewhere on there. The confusion I have just continues to deepen, not knowing what I am even doing.