A vast void stretched endlessly, an unbroken darkness. Wisps of colorful stardust drifted slowly, spinning in large, swirling vortexes, their faint glow casting an ethereal luster across the land. Strange clouds hung low, twisting and blending into the landscape itself. The ground was peculiar, writhing and shifting in spirals and folds–both beautiful and unsettling–as though creation had left this place unfinished, suspended between imagination and reality.
In the far distance, the land's rigid shapes morphed and intertwined with the stardust, casting shadows that felt oddly alive.
In the midst of this shifting landscape, a silhouette moved across the bizarre terrain.
"Still the same," the figure murmured, his voice barely a whisper against the suffocating silence. He moved through the land, its surface twisting to make way for him. Familiar, yet strange, the dream gripped him, each detail sharp and haunting. He'd been here before–countless times. And each time, the darkness seemed much more vast than the light, pulling at him, wrapping his soul in its warm embrace.
"Endlessly, have I walked these planes," the figure spoke as he looked around. "Father says my dreams have meanings… but what in the world is this?" He frowned, his frustration growing more evident with each step.
"I have always wondered if there was more beyond these planes," he paused, looking into the far horizon, watching strange shadows daring him to come closer. "But no matter how far I walk I can never seem to reach the horizon."
He was far too familiar with this place, so he was quick to note the change in the shadows. "Why do they look so much darker?" They seemed deeper, more alive. The vortexes that spun slowly within the sky were brighter, their light fighting with the void around them. A sense of urgency tugged at his mind, though he couldn't pinpoint why.
He moved forward, striving to reach the horizon, when the ground suddenly quaked beneath his feet, slowly it rose. Struggling to maintain his balance, he crouched low, lowering his center of gravity to steady himself. After a tense moment, the land beneath him stopped its ascent and started to descend, only to rise again—this time, a much shorter distance. The rising and falling of the land grew rhythmical.
"What are these quakes??" He wondered, looking around him nothing seemed different other than this. "It's so random, I almost lost my footing. I wonder what is causing it?" Before he could continue speaking, the land once again came to a stand still.
An answer to his question came in the form of a pulse of light from one of the stars. This unusual event caught his eye–a glimmer within one of the vortexes just at the edge of his vision, faint but persistent. He turned and moved towards the light, but the closer he got, the further it seemed, as though testing him, luring him into the unknown. His calm walk suddenly turned into a sprint as he dashed forward towards this light.
Unbeknownst to him, with every step he took, the landscape subtly shifted. The vibrant hues that once surrounded him dimmed, bleeding into deeper, more foreboding shades. Darkness seeped into the ground beneath his feet, consuming the beauty with an unsettling, sinister palette. A shiver crept down his spine as the unmistakable sensation of being watched took root in his mind. He hesitated for a heartbeat but shook it off, his resolve unbroken. He pressed onward, chasing the change—the light—despite the growing shadows clawing at his path.
A sudden vibration pulled him out of his trance. Glancing down, he noticed his bracelets trembling. From the beads on his right arm emanated–a deep darkness, while from his left a sharp silvery light was emitted. The beads pulsed, mirroring the swirl of stardust around him, their glow usually a comfort. But tonight, they helped him come to a terrifying realization, something was not right here. Their light seemed much greater, it felt unnatural, too deep, it was warning of something.
He froze, as a faint whisper cut through the silence, too faint to hear yet sharp enough to make him stop dead in his tracks. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. The ground began to quake once more, swirling into tight, dark spirals as it rose, the shadows crept towards him like ink spreading through water. He could feel his breath quicken, each shadow like a clawing tendril reaching for its slice of meat, pulling him deeper into fear.
"Calm down," he whispered. But deep down, he knew something was off. A strange excitement wriggled its way into his chest, mingling with the persistent fear. In the horizon the shadows grew larger, the void around him twisting, resonating with a low hum that filled him with both dread and exhilaration.
Just when the shadows completely surrounded him, the landscape began to unravel–a piercing light sliced through the darkness from above. It cut through the void with unyielding brilliance, shattering the dark serenity that had held him captive. The ground beneath him grew furious as the blinding light was introduced to the void.
"No, please… just one more minute," he begged, but it was too late. A pulling force originating from wherever the light was coming from began to lift him off the ground with incredible speed. The brightness became blinding, forcing him to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in a room. The faint tweeting of birds filled his ears, accompanied by the soft rustling of curtains.
'Something had finally changed… but alas…'
"Good Morning Sweetheart," a warm voice greeted him, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to the curtains on his left, where the silhouette of a woman approached him.
"How's my little Eury doing?" she asked, her voice gentle as she sat beside where he lay on the bed. Her presence calming, a relaxing change for Euric. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he could finally make out her face.
Her bronze skin seemed to glow beneath the morning sun, her hair a cascade of fire red curls that tumbled over her shoulders. She leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on his forehead, before her hand slowly caressed his face. Pulling aways, her lips parted into a warm motherly smile.
"I'm alright, Mother," Euric replied, smiling as he gazed into her black eyes, the depths of which sparkled like a starry night.
"I'm glad you're alright," she replied, her voice soft.
Euric's heart swelled, feeling comforted in his mother's presence. In her gaze, he felt understood, even without words. Yet, as he sank into this sense of safety, her gaze shifted. Her eyes narrowed, the warmth slowly draining from her expression, replaced by a sharpness that made him jolt from his previous comfort. Her voice was calm, but her gaze was unforgiving.
'Should the sun be out at 4 am?' A chill settled over him as the sun hit his eye. He scrambled to get up, but he was halted by his mothers firm gaze, rooting him in place.
A wave of guilt mixed with a heavy sense of fear filled his chest. 'No wonder the dream felt longer.' he thought, wearing an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry Mom, I—" His voice trailed off as her grip tightened on his cheek, sending a prickling sensation throughout the right side of his face.
"No excuses, boy. You know very well that today was your turn to help your father set everything up." She released his cheek, the disappointment in her eyes stinging sharper than any reprimand.
"Your stupid father didn't even wake me," she exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice. "Instead, he decided to do everything by himself."
Euric felt the weight of her words settle over him. 'I lost myself in the dream again.'
"You need to be more responsible, my boy," his mother sighed as she turned towards the window, peering at the clear blue sky. Euric's heart clenched, a stinging sensation filled his chest as he realized how upset his mother truly was. It wasn't anger in her voice—it was disappointment, a feeling he dreaded far more.
He sat up, hanging his legs off the bed while his back faced his mother. He looked absently at his tidy bedroom—its concrete walls and worn-out cupboards. The paint, stripping off the wood, is a good reminder of how long he had spent living here.
He slowly got off the bed, feeling the cold wooden floor on his bare feet. Walking around the bed to face his mother directly.
"I am really sorry, Mother." He spoke, moving to kneel before her, he rested his head on her lap, closing his eyes as he waited for her response.
'I need to control my curiosity, else I won't be able to help father' he thought to himself. An image of his father struggling to clean the altar tore through his mind. His brows furrowed after hearing his mother's silence, but just as he was about to apologize again he felt her fingers try to weave gently through his messy hair. Getting stuck within the depths of his tangled afro.
Rising slightly, he looked up, grasping at her hand. "That really hurts," he let out a dry smile. Seeing the sorrowful glint in her eyes as she sighed he continued. " I won't let it happen again,"
She slightly nodded, before motioning him to stand. "We really need to do something about the hair. Even if you are waiting for the ceremony, you must at least straighten it. I'll give you something to help." She commented, grabbing at his hair and giving it a good tug. Euric winced in pain, placing his hands on hers to stop her from tugging on it again.
"How is father?" Euric asked.
"You know the man, very stubborn, but very hard working." she replied, her gaze distant, picturing her husband. "He is alright, working tirelessly, even with his burdens. He is hell bent on keeping the family duties alive."
'Our family's responsibility,' Euric echoed in his mind, feeling the weight of every word. "Let me go check on him, mother. Perhaps I can help with something??"
Although it was momentary, he caught it, his mother's eyes flickered to the bracelets on his arms before shaking her head. "You know you have yet to awaken, dear. If it was when he was setting up maybe, but now it wouldn't be wise to go near the altar while your father is working. At least not for now." Standing, she grabbed his hand and began walking towards the door.
"Let's go," she said with a smile that softened the remnants of her earlier disappointment. "How about you help me finish up making a meal for your dad?"
Euric returned her smile nodding. "Alright, Mom."
As they left the room, his thoughts drifted back to the dream—the growing darkness, the unreachable light, the dancing shadows in the horizon. And lastly the whisper. Even as he walked beside her, a strange weight pressed down on him.
'What was that?' he shivered, the moment looping in his head.
Walking down the tight hallway, Euric's gaze drifted to his wrists, where his bracelets lay still, quiet against his skin. The dark and silvery beads looked ordinary, but he could still remember their deep glow. The memory echoing in his mind.
They reached the kitchen, a small, modest room that held everything one would need, but nothing more. Across the room from the doorway laid a door leading to the outside, and beside it a sink decorated with dirty dishes waiting to be washed.
Euric's mother moved to the small stove at the center of the room, checking on the charcoal she'd set. Making sure the coals were still burning hot, before checking on the stew that was cooking atop the stove. She proceeded to open the saucepan, releasing a fragrant aroma that permeated the kitchen.
'Chicken stew…' Euric's mouth watered at the smell. The pot trapped within his gaze, he stood there watching his mother stir.
Lifting her head from the stew, she nudged him towards the cupboards with her head. Understanding the sign, he quickly moved to the cupboards and opened them to fetch the dried herbs and spices they needed for the stew.
The clink of ceramic sounded in the room, as Euric retrieved the required herbs. His mother watched on, glancing at how his hands moved back and forth between ceramic pots and the mortar beside them.
"Remember, go lightly on the salt, Euric," she reminded, her gaze resting on him with a gentle smile. He nodded, taking extra precaution when measuring the herbs just how he was taught.
His mother's gaze lingered on his back, her eyes moving between his hands and the bracelets encircling his wrists. "Soon, you will understand their purpose," she murmured, almost as if speaking to herself. Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.
He couldn't help but wonder about the true reason his parents had entrusted him with the bracelets. Yet, he said nothing. Gripping the mortar and pestle, he feigned indifference, pretending not to have heard her remark. But just as he turned his focus back to his task, the world around him blurred.