That may not have been the only reason, but 'I deserve this after a night like this,' or at least, I gaslighted myself into thinking that.
Well, heaven itself didn't seem happy with my decision when suddenly...
I felt an intense pain in my right hand, as if a thousand glowing hot needles were piercing it.
'FUCK, what now?'
I quickly sat up, pulling my arm out of the hoodie, trying to figure out what was causing this unbearable pain.
Mia tsked, pulling herself out of my arms. Confusion crossed her annoyed expression as she, too, tried to identify the cause of whatever had interrupted the moment she'd been enjoying so much.
I stared at my hand.
'NOTHING? How can there be nothing?' The pain was getting worse and was starting to climb up my arm.
I clenched my teeth and used my other hand to touch the spot, hoping to find something that would explain the pain drilling deep into my skin.
'THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?'
My gaze shifted to Mia, hoping she might have at least some answers to this situation. But the mix of annoyance, confusion, and a hint of panic on her face shattered my last bit of hope.
This loss of hope caused the pain to surge.. My muscles tensed, and I found myself lying on my back again.
"AAARGHH!"
The cries of pain I'd desperately tried to suppress escaped my mouth, beyond my control. It felt like my arm was on fire, burning its way into my skin.
The panic on Mia's face deepened, but seeing me clutching my arm, which was growing stiff from the pain, seemed to give her some idea of what to do.
She placed her hand—or what felt like the contact points of a car battery—on my arm.
I felt my consciousness begin to fade. I wasn't sure, but I think I saw Mia's hand softly glowing with a white hue.
The pain intensified. In addition to the glowing hot needles piercing my skin, a new pain erupted, as if my skin were being torn to shreds over and over again.
I didn't even have enough strength left to cry out.
Just before I passed out, I saw Mia's face relax, the panic of earlier vanishing.
She released my arm, and a proud, yet somewhat crazed, smile formed on her lips. She stood up and walked out of the tent.
I was so confused by her actions, but at the same time, I was too relieved that I no longer had to endure the pain to care.
Then, everything went black.
...
— — — —
Somewhere far away,
inside a cave-like structure, it was almost completely dark. The only light came from tiny cracks woven through ancient rocks. Small patches of moss grew where the light touched.
The only sound was the soft dripping of water falling from the ceiling, hitting the rough stone floor.
"Mhh?" A voice stirred, accompanied by the faint clinking of chains.
"HOOOH, he's back?!" A hint of excitement laced the otherwise dark and terrifying voice.
"HAHA, he's back! You hear that Tra..." The voice, which sounded like some kind of monster, trailed off, as if trying to remember something.
"What was your name again? Tracy? Nami? No... Was it Nory?" The voice seemed to be inquiring, as if trying to recall something.
There was no answer, only silence, occasionally broken by the sound of dripping water.
"AAAH, right, I remember now. You died decades ago. You know, people tend to get forgetful with age, so don't be mad at me." This time, the voice carried a clear hint of insanity.
No answer—just silence again.
"Wait, what did I just say? Someone's back? But who? It sounded sooo important."
The voice continued, "Well, can't be that important if I forgot it, right, Lucy?"
Then, as if a memory had returned, the voice seemed to recognize something. "Ah your name was Lucy, wasn't it? Told you I'm not _that_ old. Right, I'm still in my prime. So, Lucy... Let's get out of here. It's been way too long since I felt the sun on my skin."
Ting!
The sound of a chain forcefully stretching to its limit echoed through the cave.
"HUH? Lucy, be a dear and remove these chains from me."
Silence yet again.
"ARRGHH, this is killing me! It's so booooring!"
The chains rattled as if the one being restrained were throwing a tantrum, as more crazed screams echoed through the cave.
...
— — — —
I found myself inside my old living room. Well, calling it "mine" would be wrong, as it belonged to my parents.
Beside an old cabinet, a very young boy was playing with a paper plane, trying to imitate the sound of an engine with his mouth.
It was me—well, a younger version of me, maybe around two years old.
He seemed to be having so much fun, exploring the whole living room on his little adventure. It didn't take long before the living room felt too small for the little pilot, and he started heading toward the kitchen.
But in the kitchen, a terrible storm was approaching. A storm so fierce that even the little pilot didn't see it coming. Very quickly, the plane veered toward the floor, ending its adventure prematurely.
The storm took the form of his mother, a sight that made the paper plane slip from his hand.
She was sitting on the floor, her back against the fridge, hugging her legs.
Her hands were pressed against her head, tangled in her disheveled hair. Tears flowed down her face, smudging her makeup even further. Her expression was one of pure fear and despair.
"It's my fault. It's all my fault," she repeated over and over. Each time, her despair and fear only deepened.
'How I hate seeing her like this. It hurts so much,' I thought, watching this memory of myself unfold.
The boy froze. He had never seen his mother cry like this. No, his mother was the strongest person he knew. The strongest there was.
"Mommy?" His voice startled her, breaking her out of her trance. She hurriedly wiped at her tears, not wanting her child to see this vulnerable side of her. But it was in vain—she just couldn't stop crying.
The child didn't want to see his mother crying like this, and a foolish thought formed in his mind.
Every time he cried, his mother would pull him into a tight hug. The warmth of her words would give him enough strength to overcome any pain or sadness.
He simply did the same. He hugged her and repeated those magical words.
"I'm here, Mommy." To say the mother was surprised would be an understatement. But hearing those words, she couldn't help herself—she broke into even more tears as she pulled him into an even tighter hug.
"Yes, you are, my son. Mommy doesn't deserve to have such an amazing son."
It was so naive of me. How could a simple hug help her with the pain she felt in that moment?
But it was at that moment that the mother swore to herself that she would never, ever make such a mistake again. Never! And she would do everything in her power to correct it, no matter the cost.
I can still feel how firmly she pulled me into her hug. It was so tight that it even hurt, making it hard to breathe.
It was a dream about my mom, just a few days after "that" day. I had dreamed of it so many times that I lost count. My mom always told me it was just my imagination, that something like that never really happened.
It wasn't until later that my mother told us the truth—or rather, she had no choice but to.
_'It's time to end this tormenting dream,'_ I thought, not wanting to experience it again.
Slightly depressed from reliving that moment, I tried to open my eyes.
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##Release every Saturday##
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Power stone Ranking:
1. Copper_husky
2. -
3. -
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A/N: From now on, chapters will be released weekly again. This time, there was a lot of foreshadowing and a teaser into the MC's backstory. I hope it wasn't too confusing or unnatural. I'd love to hear your feedback on it. And if you spot any mistakes, please point them out.
Also, I've added some art for a few characters on my Discord. Feel free to check it out!
As always, thank you for reading!
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Discord: https://discord.gg/9zdCMtJMuk