"Oh no, no, no! Mom!" He cried. "What have I done?"
Mike shook the lifeless body of his mother repeatedly, he clutched his eyes streaming with tears.
But as he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed, with his mother, Mrs. Smith, gently rubbing his hand. "It's okay, my son, it was just a nightmare. You're alright, dear," she consoled him, patting his hand reassuringly.
But Mike's tears continued to flow as he pulled his mother closer. "Mom! Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I'm going to protect you!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.
Mrs. Smith looked at him with concern, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about, love? That's supposed to be my line - what are you protecting me from?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Mike's words trailed off as sadness overwhelmed him. "Myself... I won't let any harm befall...," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Mrs. Smith tried to reassure him, "It's alright, dear, everything is going to be just fine." She stood up to fetch a package from the table on the other side of Mike's bed.
As she walked towards the door, Mike's intense gaze followed her. "Are you leaving already?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
Mrs. Smith froze, her eyes wide with surprise, and her mouth agape as she stared eye to eye with Mike.
"What's wrong, Mom? Why are you staring at me like that? Have I done something wrong?" Mike asked, his worry palpable.
But Mrs. Smith was stunned. "Yes... I mean... no, not that... Did you just... stare at me in the eyes, Mike?" she stammered, her voice laced with disbelief. Mike was confused.
"I don't understand. The nurse told me you're now sensitive to light, so I asked them to make this room dim. But you can see me now, you even made eye contact with me. Oh my God!" Mrs. Smith exclaimed.
Mike didn't respond, but instead, he sighed and bowed his head. "I can..." he started to say, but his words trailed off.
"Or is it because of the injection?" she asked, as she sat beside Mike on the bed.
"What injection?" Mike asked, his confusion evident. His eyes suddenly went blank, and his body stiffened as a vision seized him. He felt himself being pulled into a realm beyond his wildest dreams, a place that defied the laws of reality.
The air around him seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy, and his mind reeled as he struggled to comprehend the sheer scale of what he was witnessing.
Before him lay a kingdom of breathtaking beauty, its enormous walls piercing the sky like shards of crystal. The architecture was unlike anything Mike had ever seen, yet it stirred a deep sense of familiarity within him, as if he had stumbled upon a long-forgotten memory.
As he gazed upon the kingdom, Mike felt his consciousness expanding, his perception of time and space warping and bending.
At the heart of the kingdom, Mike beheld a palace of unparalleled majesty, its walls crafted from a material that seemed almost divine. The palace pulsed with a gentle, golden light, as if it were alive, and Mike felt an overwhelming sense of longing, as if he were being summoned to enter its hallowed halls.
The name "Perebia" echoed through his mind, a whispered promise of secrets and mysteries waiting to be unlocked. Mike's vision was a doorway to a world beyond his own, a realm where the impossible became possible, and the boundaries of reality were stretched to their limits.
As the vision faded, Mike slumped back onto his bed, gasping for breath. His mind reeled, struggling to process the sheer intensity of what he had witnessed.
"Mike, are you okay?" a faint voice called out, jolting Mike back to reality. The sudden return to consciousness brought with it a searing pain in his head, like a thousand needles piercing his skull. Mike's eyes fluttered open, and he was met with the blurry, concerned gaze of his mother.
Mrs. Smith's face was etched with worry, her eyes scanning Mike's face as if searching for answers. Mike tried to speak, but the pain was too much, and he winced, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. The sudden glow sent Mrs. Smith stumbling backward, her eyes wide with fear.
She hastily exited the room, calling out for the doctors. A few minutes passed before she returned, accompanied by two medical professionals. They rushed to Mike's side, expecting to find him in distress, but instead, they found him lying peacefully on the bed, fast asleep.
The doctors exchanged perplexed glances and began to examine Mike, searching for any signs of anomalies. However, his eyes, which had glowed just moments before, now appeared normal.
"There's nothing wrong with his..." one of the doctors started to say, but his voice trailed off as he noticed Mrs. Smith muttering to herself in the corner of the room.
"It's not real, I just saw it wrong," she whispered, trying to convince herself that Mike's glowing eyes were just a product of her own imagination. "There's no way something like that could've happened. It's because of the injection," she continued, her voice laced with uncertainty.
The doctors exchanged skeptical glances, their faces reflecting their confusion. They knew that Mrs. Smith had witnessed something unusual, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was. As they left the room, they couldn't shake off the feeling that something extraordinary was unfolding, something that defied the laws of medicine and science.
*****
Jake's eyes widened in astonishment as Tina approached him, the box held out in her hands. "You found the box!?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
Tina smiled, her eyes darting around the room before focusing on her father. "I wasn't the one who found it, someone found it and gave it to me," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
Jake's face lit up with anticipation as he took the box from Tina, his hands shaking slightly as he examined it.
"What about the key? Where's the box's key?" He asked.
"I don't know, that's the only thing he gave me," Tina shrugged.
Jake shook the box several times, his expression darkening with each passing moment. Finally, his face fell as he discovered it was empty.
"The box is entirely empty!" he thundered, his anger palpable. "Who gave you the box?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with fury.
Tina took a step back, her eyes wide with fear. "I don't understand, how's that possible?" she muttered under her breath. "That son of a bitch fooled me!"
Jake's gaze snapped back to Tina, his red-rimmed eyes locked onto hers. "Who gave you the box?" he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Tell me now!"
Tina swallowed hard before answering. "It's Stefan, my schoolmate, the same grade," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jake's curiosity was piqued. "Did he look strange when you saw him?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Tina shook her head. "Oh no, he looked completely normal," she replied. "But how would you tell if someone wields the power?"
"I don't, except the fact that they can't see during the day," Jake replied, his eyes clouding over with disappointment.
Tina's eyes dropped to the floor. "But something does feel strange about him," she muttered.
Jake's gaze snapped back to hers. "What's that?" he asked, his voice sharp.
Tina hesitated before speaking. "He kept asking strange questions, questionsI hadn't anticipated," she replied.
Jake's eyes narrowed. "Like...?" he prompted.
Tina's eyes darted around the room before focusing on her father. "Or perhaps I was wrong," she said. "There's no way he would know about the power in the book."
Jake's expression turned incredulous. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.
Tina's voice dropped to a whisper. "Nothing... I mean... What he knew was probably what I told him," she replied, her eyes downcast.
Jake's eyes widened in horror. "Don't tell me... You told him everything I told you?" he growled, his anger boiling over.
Tina nodded meekly. "I have no choice, that was his condition for giving me the box," she replied.
Jake's face turned red with rage. "I give you till weekend, you must find the boy and get back the book from him, understood!?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the room.
Tina nodded hastily, fear etched on her face.
"Dammit! This is so messed up!" Jake grumbled, before storming out of the room, leaving Tina shaken and alone.