Aryan sat in his small, dimly lit apartment, the only light coming from the fading afternoon sun as it filtered through the single window. He was slumped in his wheelchair, eyes unfocused, his thoughts a tangled mess. The loneliness he felt seemed to close in on him, suffocating him with each passing moment. His hands rested limply on the armrests of his chair, and his legs useless and unmoving remained draped under a blanket, a constant reminder of the life that had been taken from him.
He had been home for a week now, and each day felt heavier than the last. No matter how much he tried to distract himself, the same thoughts came crashing down on him, What was he supposed to do now? He was disabled, unable to walk, to run, or to live the life he once had. Everything seemed so bleak, so utterly hopeless.
With a sigh, Aryan pushed himself upright in the wheelchair and stared at the door. Maybe some fresh air would help clear his mind, if only for a moment. He needed to get out of this suffocating room, away from the silence that reminded him of how much his world had changed.
He grabbed the wheels of his chair, feeling the cold metal against his palms, and with a slight grunt of effort, he began to roll himself toward the door. His movements were slow and awkward at first, but he had grown somewhat accustomed to maneuvering the wheelchair over the past few days. Each push brought him closer to the door, and after a few moments, he reached it.
The doorknob felt foreign under his fingers, as if he hadn't touched it in years. He twisted it, opening the door to the outside world. The crisp, cool air of the late afternoon greeted him, a sharp contrast to the stale air inside his apartment. Aryan took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs, hoping it would bring some clarity to his chaotic thoughts.
He wheeled himself out of the apartment and onto the narrow pathway that led to the street. The sky was tinged with hues of orange and pink as the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. Aryan's heart ached at the sight. He used to love watching sunsets, but now, even the beauty of the evening sky seemed to mock him.
As he slowly made his way down the street, he noticed a group of children playing basketball at a nearby court. Their laughter and excited shouts echoed through the air, a stark contrast to the heaviness Aryan felt in his chest. He rolled to a stop just at the edge of the court, watching them with a distant gaze.
The children were full of life, running back and forth across the court with boundless energy. The basketball bounced rhythmically against the pavement, and the kids called out to each other, urging their teammates to pass the ball or take a shot. One boy dribbled the ball expertly, weaving through his friends before launching it toward the hoop. It soared through the air, spinning perfectly, and sank through the net with a satisfying swish. The boy's teammates cheered, and they all burst into laughter, celebrating the moment.
Aryan couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he watched them. He had once been like them full of energy, full of dreams. There had been a time when he could run, when he could jump, when he could play without a care in the world. Now, those days seemed like a distant memory, as unreachable as the stars.
He shook his head, pushing the bitter thoughts away. "If only things were different, he thought" his eyes never leaving the children. 'If only I could still move like that, still enjoy the simple pleasures of life."
But that wasn't his reality anymore.
With a heavy sigh, Aryan turned his wheelchair and began to roll along the side of the road, leaving the sounds of the basketball game behind him. The street was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze or the distant hum of a passing car. The rhythmic sound of his wheels turning against the pavement filled the silence around him.
Suddenly, Aryan felt something stir deep within him a strange, inexplicable urge that seemed to pull him in a certain direction. It was as if something was calling to him, drawing him toward it. He furrowed his brow in confusion, his heart pounding a little faster in his chest.
"What is this feeling?" Aryan muttered under his breath. "Why do I feel like... I need to go somewhere?"
It didn't make sense, yet the sensation was undeniable. There was a tug, an insistent push from within, guiding him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But then, without fully understanding why, he decided to follow the feeling.
He wheeled himself down the road, allowing his instincts to guide him. The path he took was unfamiliar, but his hands moved the wheels of his chair with purpose, as if they knew where to go. His heart beat faster as the road gradually led him away from the buildings and toward the outskirts of town.
After several minutes of navigating the winding streets, Aryan found himself at the edge of a vast field of golden rice paddies. The stalks swayed gently in the breeze, their golden hue bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. The scene was breathtaking, serene, and for a brief moment, Aryan felt a sense of calm wash over him.
The air was still, and the quiet of the countryside surrounded him, broken only by the occasional chirp of crickets and the rustling of the rice stalks. The sky above was painted in shades of orange, pink, and purple as the sun sank lower on the horizon. It was a peaceful, almost dreamlike atmosphere, and yet Aryan couldn't shake the strange feeling that had led him here.
He moved his wheelchair along the narrow dirt path that cut through the middle of the field. The scent of the ripe rice filled the air, earthy and sweet, and the horizon stretched endlessly before him. But despite the beauty of the scene, Aryan's heart felt uneasy. There was a strange sensation in his chest, as if something or someone was calling to him.
"What's happening?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible in the stillness. "Why do I feel like... something's here?"
He rolled along the path, his eyes scanning the golden field, but there was nothing unusual in sight. Just the soft glow of the fading sun and the golden waves of rice swaying in the breeze. Yet, his heart continued to race, as if something unseen was trying to reach him.
As he continued along the path, Aryan's gaze suddenly caught on something a glint of light, something shimmering amidst the rice stalks. He squinted, trying to make sense of it. It was faint, but unmistakable. Something was shining in the middle of the field.
"What's that?" Aryan muttered, curiosity piqued.
He wheeled himself closer, his eyes fixed on the mysterious object. As he approached, the glimmer became clearer. It wasn't just a trick of the light there was something there, nestled between the golden stalks.
With careful movements, Aryan wheeled himself off the main path and into the field, the rice brushing against the wheels of his chair. As he neared the source of the light, he saw it clearly: a necklace. It was resting atop a small cluster of rice stalks, the crystal at its center catching the last rays of sunlight and casting a soft, ethereal glow.
The necklace was delicate, the chain a fine silver that shimmered in the fading light. At the center was a brilliant blue crystal, cut into the shape of a teardrop. The crystal was translucent, and as Aryan stared at it, he could see faint, swirling patterns of light dancing within it, as though the crystal was alive with some kind of energy.
Aryan's breath caught in his throat. The necklace was beautiful, but there was something more to itsomething that tugged at his very soul. He could feel it, a strange pull deep within him, as if the necklace was calling to him, urging him to take it.
"Take it... Aryan," a voice seemed to whisper in the back of his mind, soft and insistent. "Take it..."
Aryan's hands trembled as he reached for the necklace. He hesitated for a moment, a sense of foreboding gnawing at the back of his mind. But the pull was too strong to resist. With a deep breath, he lifted the necklace from the rice stalks and held it in his hands.
The moment his fingers touched the crystal, a strange warmth spread through his body, radiating from the necklace. It was an odd sensation both comforting and unsettling at the same time. Aryan stared at the blue crystal, mesmerized by the way it seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly light.
Without fully understanding why, Aryan slipped the necklace over his head and let the crystal rest against his chest. The moment it touched his skin, a jolt of energy shot through him, like electricity coursing through his veins.
His heart raced, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to blur. He gasped, gripping the armrests of his wheelchair as a strange, dizzying sensation overwhelmed him. It was as if the necklace had awakened something within him—something powerful, something... ancient.
"What... is this?" Aryan whispered, his voice trembling. "What's happening to me?"