Daniel crawled forward through the fog.
It wasn't quiet and peaceful like before. It was dense, suffocating. The ground beneath him was soft and cold, like freshly churned mud. His left hand clawed desperately at the earth, dragging his broken body inch by agonizing inch.
His right shoulder was a grotesque mess, the tattered remnants of his shirt clinging to a stump of raw flesh and splintered bone.
"It hurts..." he whimpered, his voice weak and trembling. "It hurts so much..."
Every breath felt like fire in his chest, every movement sent waves of agony coursing through his body. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the blood trailing behind him.
"I don't... want to die," Daniel choked out, his voice barely above a whisper.
The fog seemed to mock his efforts, thickening around him as if to swallow him whole. And then, from somewhere within that impenetrable haze, a sound emerged: the guttural bellow of the black reindeer.
The beast's cry echoed from all directions, a cruel, mocking melody that pressed down on him like an invisible weight.
"Why...?" Daniel gasped, his tears falling faster. "Why are you doing this to me?"
He dragged himself forward, his trembling fingers reaching for the edge of the fog. But as he reached out, the ground beneath him disappeared. His hand met nothingness, and he realized with horror that he had reached the end.
"No..." he whispered.
Daniel turned himself over, collapsing onto his back. His chest rose and fell in ragged, uneven breaths. He stared into the swirling mist above him, and then the beast emerged.
The black reindeer stood over him, its glowing red eyes gleaming with malice. Its antlers twisted upward like the branches of a withered tree, glistening with fresh blood.
"Why?!" Daniel croaked, his voice breaking.
The beast's lips curled into a grotesque mockery of a smile, revealing jagged, yellowed teeth. When it spoke, its voice was cold and cruel, dripping with venom.
"Why?" it hissed. "Because you're a monster. An abomination. Things like you shouldn't exist."
"Monster?" Daniel repeated weakly, confusion etched across his bloodied face.
He looked down at himself in horror.
Dark grey skin covered his malnourished body, marred with numerous scars. Four thin arms hung limply at his sides, three of which were broken and mutilated.
The reindeer's form began to shift and blur, its twisted body warping into something else entirely. A man now loomed over him, his full black beard framing a face twisted with disgust. He held a crude spear, its tip glinting ominously in the dim light.
"Do you understand now?" the man sneered. "An abomination like you dares to call itself human? You're nothing more than a disease—a blight on the world."
The man raised the spear high, his voice ringing out like thunder. "Now die!"
"No!" Daniel cried, shutting his eyes. "Please!"
The spear plunged downward, its jagged tip tearing through his flesh with a sickening squelch. Daniel gasped, his mouth opening in a silent scream as pain consumed him.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
The words echoed through his mind, ancient and commanding, resonating deep within his very soul.
The fog closed in around him again, muffling the pain and bringing a fleeting sense of relief. But that relief was short-lived.
The reindeer's bellow shook the world, louder and more menacing than before. Another cry joined it, then another, until the air was filled with a cacophony of monstrous roars.
The sound grew deafening, each voice a shared of fear stabbing into Daniel's heart.
"Monster!"
"Abomination!"
"Kill the beast!"
The fog retreated suddenly, revealing a scene that defied all comprehension.
Thousands of figures floated in the air around him, their forms growing with ethereal light. They were of all shapes and sizes—some humanoid, others monstrous, and the rest grotesque amalgamations of the two. Despite their differences, they shared one common trait: their collective hatred bore down on Daniel like an oppressive force.
"The people have spoken," one of them declared, their voice booming. "You will die here, abomination."
Their lights flared, growing brighter and more dangerous with each passing second. Daniel instinctively tried to shield himself, but when he raised his arms, they were not arms at all.
Instead, two massive wings unfolded, their bony structure covered in a thin, golden membrane.
"No..." Daniel whispered, his voice trembling.
The glowing figures unleashed their fury, a multicolored pillar of light descending upon him with unimaginable force.
The golden skin of his wings sizzled and burned, the delicate membrane vaporizinh in an instant. The bones shattered, and the light struck his body directly.
His once-beautiful golden scales melted away, followed by his flesh. Daniel's screeches filled the air, a harrowing sound of pain and despair.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
The voice returned, calm yet unyielding, as Daniel's consciousness was torn apart by the agony.
He found himself in the fog once more, but it was no refuge. He was now a gargantuan leviathan, cutting through an endless black sea at impossible speeds. Behind him, the waters boiled with the movements of his pursuers—others of his kind.
Their roars echoed through the depths, and before he could flee any farther, their jaws closed around him.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He awoke again, but this time, as a young boy with beautiful white wings. He stood on the battlements of a glowing city, watching as the armies of darkness poured in through the gates. He fought valiantly, but he was young, and the tide was too strong.
He died with his comrades, his wings broken and bloodied.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a powerful spirit feared by all, his very presence bringing death and despair. He was hunted by the living, trapped, and obliterated.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a gifted seer, blinded and betrayed by his own father, labelled a heretic by his own people. His last memory was his mother's anguished cries as he was burned alive.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a hermit with the ability to instantly travel anywhere. He was worshipped by those he aided, only to be struck down by jealousy and greed.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a kind spirit, spreading joy wherever he went. He was captured by long-eared people and died in the agony of their experiments.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
Again and again, the circles continued.
He was a hero, chosen by a divine entity to stop the war that had consumed their world. He was burned alive by the very divine entity he had served.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a young man, powerless to stop the girl he adored from being taken away. Consumed by grief, he hung himself on their childhood tree.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was a little boy who watched as an arrow ended his mother's life. He, his childhood friend and his little sister starved to death in the woods, lost and hopeless.
Each life was a tragedy, a tale of suffering and betrayal. And in every death, the voice returned.
[FIGHT, DANIEL.]
He was Daniel Jason, born into a world that rejected him, yet he still fought.
The fog consumed him once more, then the voice spoke again, no longer distant but close and resounding.
[YOU ARE DANIEL JASON, THE ONE FORESEEN BY FORTUNE AND FATE.]
[YOU WILL WIELD THE POWER OF THE TWELVE AND FIGHT THE INFECTION, AS HAS BEEN YOUR DESTINY THROUGHOUT A DOZEN LIFETIMES.]
The fog began to thin, golden light piercing through it edges. Daniel felt the weight of the words settle into his soul—a mixture of fear, despair, and newfound determination.
His breath hitched as the light grew brighter, enveloping him.
"Wake up soon, okay?" A voice whispered softly.
And then, Daniel opened his eyes.