"Where am I...?"
...
Silence. Darkness.
I'm afraid...
Of what...?
The void surrounding me slowly faded, replaced by a warmth I had long forgotten. My vision blurred—I could neither see nor comprehend what lay before me. Yet, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt safe.
"Your name will be... #!%#^# Alphonse..."
A voice, soothing yet distant, echoed through my mind, like the chime of a bell—faint, nostalgic.
But something was wrong.
A strange unease coiled around my thoughts.
"What was my first name...?"
"Say that again..." I murmured, reaching forward.
My hands—small, soft, unfamiliar.
An infant's hands.
"Where am I...?" I pondered once more, but the question no longer mattered. A deep sense of serenity washed over me. I wanted to stay here forever...
My eyes drifted shut. For the first time in a very long time—
I could rest.
...
The peace was short-lived, my eyes snapped open.
I was no longer cradled in warmth.
My vision was clear,
Before me stretched an open meadow—endless fields of grass swaying under an unseen wind. My hands were normal again. My body had returned to its originally state. But something was wrong...
"Where am I...?"
Then, I looked up.
And my breath caught in my throat.
The sky bled crimson, once again. The moon descended even closer. An ominous sound shook the ground as the moon approached. My eyes were wide with fear, once again witnessing the sight I could only hope to be just a nightmare.
I squeezed my eyes shut, once again, willing it all away.
...
Silence.
The sound had stopped.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
The sky remained an eerie red, but the moon had halted its descent.
"...Alphonse..."
My body jolted in surprise as I instinctively tried to turn around—
"Face your fears, Alphonse."
The voice echoed once more, this time, a firm command. It was a familiar voice, one I'd heard not too long ago. As I turned around, I found no one.
"...Face your fears..."
The words reverberated within me.
"Relax, Alphonse. Calm yourself..."
I exhaled shakily, my body unwilling to obey. But something within me urged me forward.
"You do not need to fear... Raise your hand..."
I hesitated. Then, slowly, I lifted my right arm, the palm of my hand facing the moon.
The moment I did, the moon inched forward once more, its presence crushing, suffocating.
Panic settled in my heart.
"Alphonse... Calm yourself..." the voice urged once more. "Close your eyes... Focus... You alone command yourself—do not let your fears rule you."
I took a slow breath.
And obeyed.
Forcing the fear from my mind, I envisioned something—anything—other than this nightmare.
Then—
I felt a pulse, as if something had awakened within me. And suddenly—
A sound—loud, and thunderous.
I opened my eyes.
My hand was glowing.
The sky remained unchanged, but the fear, the helplessness, was gone.
I took a step forward. Then another.
The light grew brighter, wrapping around me, swallowing everything in its radiance.
And for the first time—
I closed my eyes, not out of fear—
But out of authority, as the world bent to my will.
***
I was once again surrounded by darkness. But this time, I wasn't scared...
The silence was calming, and the darkness was peaceful. It was over. And then I heard it once again—
"You will be the brightest star in the sky... one that will guide us to a new dawn..."
The familiar voice resonated, stronger now, yet still gentle, as if it had always been there, waiting. It enveloped me like the embrace of a lost memory, too precious to forget.
"My son..."