Suddenly, my eyes opened. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened a few moments ago.
When I came to, the first thing I noticed was the pain—a dull, throbbing ache that pulsed through my skull like a relentless drumbeat. My head felt like it had been split open, and my body was heavy, as if pinned to the ground by an unseen force. I groaned, trying to move, but even the slightest twitch sent a jolt of agony through me. My vision was blurred, the world around me a swirl of indistinct shapes and colors. But as my senses slowly returned, I realized something was different—something was wrong. The darkness that had consumed me earlier was gone, but in its place was a strange, almost alien clarity. My left eye—no, the Infinite Eye—was seeing things I couldn't quite understand.
"Wait a second, where am I?"
Noticing the surroundings, I realized I was no longer in the cave but somewhere else—some dark and ominous place. Shadows danced around me, twisting and contorting into shapes that defied logic, as if the very fabric of reality was warping before my eyes.
"Where... where am I?" I managed to croak out, though my voice was hoarse and weak. Standing with all the effort I could muster, I looked around and couldn't help but shiver.
My eye still hurts, but I tried to ignore it and look for something that made sense.
"Hello? Who brought me here? Do you want anything? If yes, then just say it! Don't make it mysterious, will ya?" I shouted, but no voice replied.
I tried to punch myself, but nothing happened. "Well, this is definitely not a vivid dream."
Calming my racing heart, I started walking into the darkness, moving and moving until, far away, I saw a door.
A weathered wooden door, its surface scarred with age, seemed unassuming at first glance, but the faint glint of rusted chains coiled discreetly within its frame suggested something far more unsettling. The door exuded an air of quiet menace, as though it guarded secrets that should never be uncovered.
"Is that the exit?"
Without thinking much, I ran toward the door, hoping it was the exit. I reached the door and opened it.
As I gently pushed open the door, the first thing that greeted my eyes was a vibrant explosion of colors. The room was bathed in the soft, warm glow of sunlight streaming through large windows, casting playful shadows on the walls.
"Kindergarten?"
Brightly colored toys were scattered across the floor, creating a whimsical mosaic of reds, blues, yellows, and greens. Plush animals sat in a cozy corner, their button eyes gleaming with silent stories. A miniature kitchen set stood proudly against one wall, pots and pans neatly arranged as if waiting for tiny chefs to return.
I walked into the room, marveling at how pleasant it was, but something was strange—there were no children.
Looking left and right, I tried to find someone, but no one was there. "A kindergarten without kids is like a graveyard without dead bodies... wait, bad example, never mind."
As I moved further into the room, a low table surrounded by tiny chairs caught my eye, each one painted a different color. Crayons and paper lay abandoned on the table, mid-creation, hinting at imaginative worlds that were being crafted just moments ago. Shelves along the walls were filled with picture books.
"Did everyone leave? Wait, who's there?"
As I took a few steps further into the room, my eyes were drawn to a small figure sitting alone in a tiny chair. The child was engrossed in a colorful picture book, turning the pages slowly as if savoring each image.
However, the child was enveloped in a soft, ethereal white light, making it impossible to discern any features. The light seemed to pulse gently, casting a serene glow around the child and creating an almost magical aura.
He sat there, a small figure swallowed by the vast emptiness of the room. The silence pressed down on him, making the space feel even more immense. It was unsettling, as if the room itself was watching him, waiting for something.
"I can't see him..."
I walked closer, trying my best to step quietly and not disturb him. "Hello there."
The child didn't look up, his eyes remained fixed on the colorful pages of the book. The silence was profound, yet not uncomfortable.
"Do you know what place this is?"
Still, there was no response. The child continued to turn the pages slowly, the white light around him pulsing gently with each movement.
"Strange, where are the caretakers? Where are the other children?"
I can't help but wonder—if this is a kindergarten, why is he alone? Shouldn't there be other children, the usual buzz of laughter and chatter filling the space? Yet here he is, quietly reading, as if the absence of others doesn't matter at all. It feels odd, almost eerie, how peaceful he seems in such a large, empty room meant for so many.
Still, I couldn't see his face. And I didn't know when he would speak. Realizing that the child was deeply engrossed, I decided to sit quietly nearby.
"Well, I can't force a child to talk. All I can do is wait until he finishes his book."
Watching him patiently, I couldn't help but feel a little discomfort. Even with his aura around him, I could sense he seemed very alone, as if he were trapped.
"What's this feeling? I can't shake it off... but why do I feel this now? I have no connection with this kid."
There are millions of kids in this world who die from poverty, diseases, and many other things. I never felt anything about it—it's the law that God created while sealing their fate. But seeing this kid makes me feel devastated.
"Fuck."
I stood up, following my heart as I moved toward the kid. I grabbed his hand, but to my complete surprise, he didn't flinch, not even a single movement.
The air felt heavier somehow, like something was off, but he just sat there, calm and unmoved.
"Hey, let's go from here," I said, even though I didn't know what I was doing. It was all happening on instinct, but nonetheless, it felt better this way.
I tried to force him to move from the chair, but to my surprise, he didn't budge.
"What in the world?"
It was as if some invisible force anchored him to the spot, refusing to let him move. I pulled again, a bit harder this time, but it was pointless. Something more than his own will was keeping him there, like the room itself had claimed him. His expression remained calm, eyes still glued to the book, as if completely unaware of the strange, unseen power holding him in place. It sent a chill down my spine.
"What's wrong? It's like some kind of force isn't allowing him to move..."
Looking for some way to understand what was happening, I suddenly saw it. My entire face went horrified. My eyes found something so terrifying that anyone would be horrified by it.
"This can't be real..."
I knelt, my mouth opening and closing. I couldn't mutter any more words—only horror enveloped me.
his legs were pinned to the chair by heavy nails driven through the wood. The nails were embedded deeply, securing him firmly in place. The boy remained oblivious, absorbed in his book, as if the pain or the unsettling sight was part of an ordinary day for him. It was a chilling contrast to his calm demeanor, and I could hardly believe the cruel reality of the situation before me.
They were nailed to the chair from all sides, stopping him from moving as if forcing him to sit there for eternity.
"Wh-why? Why? Why?"
Who in the world did this? What did this kid do for someone to do this?
I kept staring, unable to move, unable to talk. My brain went numb, just staring at it. A tiny drop of water fell from my left eye.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed me.
"Huh?"
It was the kid's hand. Without flinching, and still looking at the book, he spoke for the first time with a gentle and immensely full voice.
"Is that you, Deva?" His voice sounded ominous, as if he hadn't spoken for thousands of years.
his hand gripping mine with a strength that belied his small frame. The sight of his legs, cruelly nailed to the chair, and the boy's unsettlingly serene demeanor created a jarring contrast that sent a shiver down my spine. It was as if he were trapped in a nightmarish realm, and his recognition of me only made the whole situation more grotesque and incomprehensible.
"Deva? Who?" I couldn't understand his words.
There was a strange heaviness to the name, as if it carried something more than just a simple identity. It felt like an answer to a question I didn't even know I were asking
Who is Deva? But for some reason, his words felt so heavy, making my heart grow number and number with each moment.
Before I could think of any reply, he spoke again.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you here now? Why didn't you come earlier, Deva?"
the severity of his tone made the word feel like an accusation, probing into the very essence of my presence and purpose here.
What is he saying?
"You said... you said even if the room fell into darkness and the light of hope was extinguished, you would become the candle to light up the darkness... until I became someone who could fight the darkness on my own."
I couldn't help but stand there, just looking at the boy speaking.
Every word he spoke felt like an arrow piercing through even the mightiest of shields.
Finally, the boy stopped, but as his mouth fell silent, the atmosphere grew grim, and every passing second felt like hours.
As I tried to gather my thoughts on what was happening, his previous words wouldn't stop echoing in my head.
He closed his book and turned around. Finally, he looked up at me.
"You..." he whispered.
Just as he said the word, he looked at me, but once again, my whole body went numb.
This time, it felt like the heat of fire struck me with full force—horrifying, dark. This was something I had never imagined.
The boy was looking at me with an innocent face and black hair.
But...
He didn't have eyes.
He has no eyes? Why?
My expression twisted into one of sheer terror. My eyes widened, lips parting in a silent gasp as I took in the sight of the boy's hollow eye sockets. My face went pale, and a cold sweat began to bead on my forehead. I felt my breath catch in my throat, my heart pounding wildly as I struggled to maintain my composure.
"Why are you shocked?"
"You... what? How?" I muttered, unable to find the words to speak.
People say if you want to see how deep someone is in despair, you should look into their eyes to feel the nothingness.
But you can see in my nothingness, there's nothingness.
I kept staring.
"Deva, You are l—" but then he abruptly stopped, a look of realization crossing his face. "No, you aren't him... You are just a...
His words trailed off,
As he spoke those words, the world around me began to twist and fracture, as if reality itself was shattering into pieces. The once stable surroundings dissolved into darkness, the images of the room, the boy, and everything I had seen fading away in an instant.
The cave's cold, damp air greeted me as I was pulled back into reality. My heart pounded, breaths shallow and quick. The eerie encounter with the boy lingered in my mind, his words echoing relentlessly.
I am back? I muttered to myself, trying to grasp the abrupt shift in reality. The dreamlike scene was gone, replaced by the familiar surroundings of my waking world. I couldn't help but replay the events in my mind, struggling to make sense of what had just happened. The boy, the empty eye sockets, the crumbling room—everything seemed so surreal now, like fragments of a haunting vision.
"Deva...?" I whispered to myself, trying to make sense of it all. Who was this boy? Why did he call me that?
The boy's cryptic words —"You are not him... You are just a"—left me grappling with its meaning.
The "A" seemed like it was saying I was just a stand-in or a minor player in something much bigger, not the main person the boy thought I was. It felt like a clue that there's a lot more going on here than I'd realized, maybe hinting at a deeper truth I still need to figure out.
But I'm Sam. The boy's words might have been aimed at the original Akashi some old and deep connectios that I had no idea?, not me. It could be that he mistook me for someone else or had a misconception, especially since I was the one who managed to grab the Infinity Eye after all these years.
And those... eyeless sockets. The memory of his empty gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
I looked around the cave, searching for any signs of change, but everything seemed the same. The dark stone walls loomed over me, jagged and menacing, the shadows shifting eerily as if they held secrets of their own.
"Was it... just a dream?" I questioned aloud, but the words felt hollow. The pain in my head had subsided, but the Infinite Eye throbbed with a strange intensity, as if reacting to something I couldn't yet understand.
"I gotta think everything through, but first I need to relax and get out of here."
I started walking back the way I came. As I walked, my sights fell on a pool of water lying on the ground. I approached it, hoping it might offer some clarity.
To my shock, my reflection showed a dramatic change. My left eye—the one that had been throbbing with strange energy—was now glowing a vibrant blue. The color was not the usual human hue but a deep, luminous shade that seemed to pulse with an inner light. It was as if the eye had taken on a life of its own, radiating an otherworldly energy.
"Is this the Infinite Eye?" I muttered, marveling at the sight.
"Cool," was the first word that escaped my lips as I tried to wrap my mind around the transformation.
I leaned in closer to the pool of water, my glowing blue eye casting an eerie light across its surface. It was mesmerizing yet unsettling. The change in my eye was undeniable; it seemed to radiate a strange, powerful energy.
As soon as I touched the left eye , my eye returned to its normal red. "Wow, I can do that?" but this is not the time
With a deep breath, I realized I needed to keep moving. The cave was oppressive, and staying there wouldn't help me understand the changes or the cryptic encounter with the boy. I turned away from the cave and began retracing my steps,
I'd come here for a reason, so it's best I get out. Still, as I moved through the cave, I couldn't shake the feeling of that horrific pain from earlier. Everything had happened so fast; my mind was a mess.
Seriously, no one mentioned the protagonist had to go through this kind of stuff to get the artifact. Or did I miss something and read a different novel?
With a long sigh, I tried to forget it for now. If not for the black liquid in my hand, I might have considered fixing my eye with surgery.
Speaking of the liquid, what the heck was that?
I glanced at my hand. It seemed normal, but when I turned it, I noticed a tattoo on the back. It was a circle like a sun with a single closed eye in the middle. Given all the weird stuff today, I wasn't even surprised by this new addition.
I'd research it later. Right now, I was too overwhelmed to process everything. Time to get out of here.
I made my way slowly and carefully towards the cave's entrance and finally emerged into the daylight. The weather outside was sunny, as if a storm had just passed.
How long was I in that cave?
I checked my phone—it had been over 20 hours. I must have lost track of time, maybe because I'd been asleep for part of it.
Ignoring my fatigue, I set out to find my way. After another three hours of getting lost and cursing my luck,
I finally found the forest exit.
As I returned, I saw the same lady greeting me.
"Hey, Charmy boy! Took you long. Did you find your thing?"
"Charmy boy?" I ignored the weird nickname and just nodded. I wasn't in the mood for a chat.
I tried to walk away, but she stopped me.
"Hey, don't you think you're forgetting something?"
"Forget something? What?"
"Oh yeah, I remembered," i said
She looked with with a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
"Eating my My glorious, majestic lunch I prepared for me
She stared at me blankly as if expecting something more.
I sighed.
"Right, the email," I said, realizing what she meant.
Her gaze remained fixed on me. "Write it down."
"Okay, okay." I wrote down,
"SamuelovesMiLfs77@gmail.com."
She paused, her mouth hanging open, then closed it. "You're not making fun of me, are you?"
"Seriously, that's it. Why would I lie?" I said, trying not to sound too annoyed.
"Are you serious about this email?"
"Yeah, it's Samuel's Gmail."
"Well, if you're saying so, I have no reason not to believe you. Thanks, boy. I'm really grateful."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Good luck with everything," I said, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Okay, I gotta go. I'm late."
As I was about to make a run for it, she called out again.
"What now?"
"I… I…"
"Yeah?"
"Do I look milf enough?"
I felt like my brain had melted from all the nonsense. I had enough.
"Goodbye," I said, and sprinted away as fast as I could.
I needed to get home. Today was the last day of suspense before I could head back to the academy. Time to get everything in order.