I found myself floating in a weightless, red void. Nothing existed in this space, except for the disgusting thick material it was made of—the same "jelly" texture the water had turned into.
Suddenly, a hand clenched onto me again, dragging me further into the weightless void. The hand was large, and although it was missing an arm, it seemed to stretch itself from somewhere at the bottom of the void. If there even was a bottom.
But I began to fight, thrashing as hard as possible in this purgatory.
I heard a voice, male, faint, in the distance:
"She's fighting me."
The voice echoed all around this strange place. It sounded as if I was in the womb.
The hand, which seemed 10 times larger than any human hand, began to pull even harder. I felt almost like giving up, as the weight of the thick, red substance was hard to fight against.
The hand continued to tug at me, and I felt my body slip further down. I glanced below me and could see a faint…light?
Whatever was below me, I did not want to meet it.
Suddenly, I had an idea. I began to bite the hand—with every fiber of my being.
I heard a cry of pain.
"She's biting me!"
Another voice, female and raspy, echoed around the void:
"Hold tight, Master. Or she will be lost in the red forever. Or, even worse, she will come out at another point!"
I heard the male voice let out a pained cry. And the hand's power began to wane.
No, I thought. I am not going. Please, help me fight this creature.
"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" I yelled with all my might.
Suddenly, a light appeared next to me. It was beautiful and warm. And I felt a strong desire to touch it. I needed to reach it! I began to kick with all my might, dragging myself closer to the light.
I heard a bit of panic in his voice:
"She's going to another light!"
"Hold tight, Master. Fight! Your magic is beginning to wane!"
I heard a pained groan. It sounded closer than ever before.
But I was not going down without a fight, and I began to ache with pain as I continued to drag myself closer to the light.
It was almost within my grasp. I reached out my hand--
"Don't you dare!" his voice angrily called out to me.
Too late. I touched the light and suddenly it overcame me.
And in a flash, I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark, misty wood. The thick material from the void had completely engulfed me.
I was cold, tired, and sticky. The fight against the giant hand had completely worn me out.
I took a deep breath and stood up. It took several tries at balance before I could stand on my two feet.
Glancing around, I noticed a large yellow moon above me. It looked terrifying, as it loomed above, casting a strange light on the forest—which was quite terrifying in its light.
Dark, strange trees were everywhere, growing in a twisted, perpendicular manner. And it was quiet. Too quiet. No birds or animals of any kind could be heard.
I was nowhere near Adler's castle.
Suddenly, a loud noise drew my attention. I glanced in between a cluster of trees and noticed a castle in the distance. At least, it looked like one. The castle was built in the same twisted shape as the trees.
I strained my eyes to see a figure on a balcony.
A voice suddenly yelled at the top of their lungs:
"BRIAR!!!"
I took a step back, terrified. The figure looked as if they were looking in my direction.
"DON'T RUN FROM ME!!" the voice vehemently screamed.
Then, an even more terrifying noise could be heard. It was the sound of the most vicious GROWL.
It was followed by the sound of a gate opening up. And the sound of large footsteps making its way through the dirt and gravel.
Something was coming for me.