Chapter 1: The Nightmare
Shin's breath was shallow, desperate. His chest heaved with each labored breath, but the cold air did nothing to ease the burning heat within him. The ground beneath his feet trembled. The world around him was plunged into darkness, but in the distance, vague shapes twisted and disappeared into the shadow. A low growl echoed, coming from somewhere deep in the abyss, sending a shiver down his spine.
The fog clung to him like a suffocating veil, drawing him into the void. His heart raced, but his legs refused to move. No matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn't respond.
Run!
The voice in his head screamed. But it wasn't his voice. It was dark, distorted, a whisper from something far older than him. Something ancient. Something that had waited for this moment.
A shadow moved — just a flicker at first. Then, it returned. Again. And again.
Shin's eyes darted frantically, searching, but he saw nothing.
"Come on, move! You know you have to run!"
He shook his head, trying to shake the voice from his mind. "No... No, I can do this... I won't give in."
The terror grew stronger, the ground slipping away beneath his feet as if reality itself was unraveling. A soft, sinister laugh echoed in his ears, cold as a winter wind.
"You're going nowhere, Shin. It's too late. There's no escaping."
Shin clenched his fists. "I... I will fight. I'm not... like you."
The shadows writhed around him, twisting, folding. A massive figure slowly emerged from the darkness, its red eyes glowing with a demonic light.
"Do you really think you can fight me?" the voice murmured in his mind, creeping in like poison.
Shin took a step back, but his legs were chained. He felt like the ground itself was holding him in place, forcing him to face the creature.
"You're nothing," the voice continued, mocking. "I am everything you need. I can make you powerful. I can give you everything. Let go, Shin."
The shadow's claws stretched toward him, large and menacing. Shin felt his heart race, a wave of panic flooding him.
"No!" he shouted, his teeth clenched. "I... I won't fall into your grasp!"
But the creature came closer, a twisted smile contorting its dark form. Its eyes burned with a cruel gleam, and Shin knew that no matter how much he fought, he wouldn't escape this nightmare.
"You want me to leave, Shin?" the voice whispered. "You want to push me away, but deep down, you know you can't. It's too late."
Shin fell to his knees, his hands trembling on the ground. "No... I can't... I won't give in."
"You don't have to fight," the voice said, soft, almost soothing. "I offer you what you want. Everything you desire. You're just a lost child, you need me."
A cold shiver ran down his spine as the shadow's claws reached out, ready to seize him. But Shin stood tall, his eyes burning with defiance.
"You're wrong... I'm not like you!" he screamed, one last time.
And then, everything went dark.