Chereads / Guran Veil: Shadespire Academy of the dead / Chapter 2 - Echoes of Darkness

Chapter 2 - Echoes of Darkness

I walked through the desolate town, my footsteps as silent as the presence of the air in my lungs and the silence that enveloped me. The weight of the unknown burdened my every step, but I refused to let it deter me. I had to find answers, no matter the cost.

As I continued my solitary journey, a faint commotion reached my ears, cutting through the eerie stillness. Curiosity mingled with caution as I followed the sound, leading me towards a dimly lit alleyway. Shadows danced ominously along the walls, amplifying my sense of unease.

As I approached the alley, my voice trembled as I called out to the figure within.

"Hello? Is someone there?" I said cautiously searching in the direction of the sound.

I hoped for a response, a glimmer of familiarity in this desolate world.

Then I saw it, my first encounter with what most would call a demon or a monster of the sort.

The figure slowly turned around, and as the faint light caught its contorted and twisted face, a gasp escaped my lips.

"What… what is that… what are you.." I said the words barely uttered out of my mouth.

It was a grotesque visage, a horrifying distortion of humanity. The sight sent shivers down my spine, and I instinctively took a step back.

In that moment, the monstrous figure let out a chilling scream that pierced the silence. Its voice, filled with anguish and torment, seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of this strange realm. Fear gripped me, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

However, as I stood frozen in place, I became aware of something else - my feet were sinking into the ground. Panic surged through me as I struggled to free myself, my ankles trapped in the sinking earth. It was as if the very ground itself sought to imprison me, to swallow me whole.

The grotesque creature, sensing my vulnerability, began to approach with eerie determination. Its twisted form moved with an otherworldly grace, the crack of bones and chattering teeth soon filled my ears as if in a cacophony of sounds. Each step bringing it closer to me. I fought against the sinking ground, desperate to escape its clutches.

Summoning my strength, I managed to wrench my right foot free from the sinking earth. With renewed determination, I fought against the resistance, inching my left foot out of its grasp. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I finally broke free, stumbling backward.

Heart pounding, I turned and ran, my footsteps none present as if I were running on feathers in the desolate streets. Fear propelled me forward, my mind racing with questions and uncertainties.

As if drawn by force, I found a desolate building. It seemed to shimmer and shift in the daylight as if covered in a veil. As I entered the building , it was dark and but practically looked intact.

As I quickly dodged into a bathroom, I could hear the monster still in pursuit. Its eerie screams filling the hallways, almost echoing from wall to wall.

The sounds slowly faded out of earshot.

" I must of lost it." I murmured standing up, facing a mirror, my reflection seemed to glow slightly.

I wore a school uniform, adored with a button of a black cat. The collar of my shirt fastened tightly around my neck. I tried to loosen it but it seemed to be un adjustable. I examined myself closer, my jet black hair almost reaching the bottom of my back. My face seemed normal, not twisted and contorted like the monster I seen earlier.

"Atleast I still seem normal." I said rubbing both hands across myself.

"What was that grotesque creature?" I thought to myself.

Not only that a sudden realization hit me, I wasn't sinking into the ground.

I had been so busy trying to avoid that monstrosity outside I had barely noticed that my feet weren't sinking into the ground.

Wherever I was, it's ground was solid, it felt different from the quicksand ground of this nightmare world.

Gathering my confidence I made a stride for the door. Gently opening the doors I quickly fled.

The memory of the contorted face and the haunting scream lingered in my mind, a reminder of the darkness that lurked within this realm.

I refused to let fear the consume me though. Running though the halls I quickly made my way up the lobby stairs. There wasn't a sound, the silence giving off an eerie feeling even in the catacombs of this building.

With each pass up the stairs, halls were full with doors. Some of them open while others remained closed. Reaching the top floor I quickly made my way out of the exit door present.

The sun bathed me as I stepped into this outside world again, the sun only providing light and zero warmth. It seemed like this world was a helI.

I continued walking along the roof til I hit the edge. The view of desolate and decaying buildings drew in a sense of familiarity.

Each building was different from the next even though some were desolate some seem to be in pristine condition, the ones that were seem to shimmer just like this building that I was now standing on.

I was determined to uncover the truth of this world, one way or another.

After taking in the view, I quickly looked for an easy route off the building. Jumping from the top floor seemed plausible, but also life-threatening.

I turned to re-enter the building, it seemed like the only route I could take. Cautiously, I re-enter the building. It was still deadly silent, the sounds of my own breath seem to echo through the halls as I walked. It had already seemed like I was here forever. The thought of being trapped here forever seemed almost as real as whatever was chasing me earlier.

"Could this be hell?, Had I done something to be put here.", I had thought to myself as I continued my walk down the halls.

Not really wanting to find any more of those monsters I tried my best to avoid the rooms and doors that were present.

With each step, I pushed myself further, driven by an unyielding resolve to unravel the mysteries of this bleak and twisted reality. The journey ahead would be arduous, but I knew in my heart that answers awaited me, hidden amidst the shadows of this haunting world.