[PoV: Zanis Rusle]
I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself in a corridor illuminated by a single hanging light above me. The walls on either side were made of hard, sturdy metal.
This... don't tell me...
The sound of footsteps interrupted my inner monologue.
*footsteps*
My eyes stared into the darkness ahead, where the faint sound of small footsteps could be heard. "Who's there?" I asked curiously.
The footsteps grew clearer, closer, and heavier, creating an uncomfortable tension in the air.
From the darkness, a figure slowly emerged—a man with brown hair, pale skin, blue irises, and black pupils. He was dressed formally: long black pants, a white shirt, and a long black coat. He wore shiny black leather boots that gleamed under the light, along with a silver monocle that reflected the light. In his hand, he held a medium-sized cane, which he tapped on the ground once.
The figure looked human, but... was he truly human?
He opened his mouth. "Me? I am no one of importance. I am merely here to tell you something," he said, his voice deep and heavy.
"Tell me something? What is it?" I asked again.
He paused for a moment before speaking. "In the future, your life will be filled with countless obstacles. You will endure endless suffering and madness," he said.
"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brows, confused by his words. "Suffering? Madness? What are you talking about? Who are you?!" I asked, my curiosity growing.
But my attention was diverted as the floor between us began to disappear, swallowed by the darkness. "W-What's happening?" I asked, bewildered and slightly panicked.
The floor in front of me continued to vanish, as if consumed by an endless void. I stepped back, my heart racing, trying to distance myself from the approaching edge. The figure remained calm on the other side, seemingly unaffected by the destruction of the floor between us.
"Do not panic," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice. "This is merely the collapse of the dream I have created."
"The collapse of a dream? What do you mean? What is really happening here?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation, but it all felt like a nightmare I couldn't control.
His glowing blue irises stared at me intensely. "From the beginning, this was a dream I created. I used the remnants of my power to craft this dream so I could speak to you without interference from the entities out there. It seems this dream is fading because my power has reached its limit."
"Entities out there? Who are you talking about?"
"It is too early for you to know," he replied. "You will understand everything in time. But remember, no matter what you see, no matter what you experience, never lose yourself. The darkness will try to consume you, but only you can decide whether to surrender or endure."
I wanted to ask more, but suddenly, the darkness swallowed the floor beneath me. I quickly jumped back, trying to keep my distance from the encroaching void, but it continued to spread. "Wait! What should I do?!" I shouted in panic.
The figure raised his cane and, in a calm voice, said, "Believe in yourself. That is all you need."
Before I could respond, the floor beneath me completely disappeared. I fell into the deep darkness, my screams swallowed by the emptiness around me. I felt like I was falling endlessly.
Everything was dark, so dark. I was in the deepest darkness, unable to hear anything, not even my own voice.
But not long after, a faint voice of a woman could be heard, as if calling out to me. Slowly, the voice became clearer.
"Ka..."
"Kaka..."
"Kakak..."
"Kakak!!!"
"Huh?!" My eyes shot open, fear and unease still lingering. My eyes widened, and I realized I was drenched in sweat.
I found myself lying on a hard, worn-out bed.
I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Then, I looked around the room. It was a medium-sized room. In the right corner, there was a closet, a desk, and a chair. In the left corner, there was a small kitchen area with some cooking utensils and a door leading to the bathroom. In the center, directly in front of me, was the exit door leading to a common hallway. Above, a hanging light illuminated every corner of the room.
I looked up at the right corner of the wall. A beam of morning light seeped through a small gap covered by a metal grate, like a small window. It served as ventilation to let oxygen into the room.
"This... is my room," I muttered.
A girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me with concern. "What happened to you, bro? You're sweating so much."
The girl had long black hair, brown irises, and black pupils. Her skin was a light tan, leaning more toward fair, and she wore a white shirt with black shorts.
This girl was my younger sister, Cerry Rusle; she was 17 years old and in her third year of high school. I, on the other hand, was 20 and had graduated high school three years ago. Our mother passed away ten years ago, and our father left home two years ago, his whereabouts still unknown. The two of us lived together, renting a single room in an apartment. The reason we rented a room was that I had sold our old house to save money for Cerry's college tuition. For Cerry's school needs and other expenses, I could still manage on my own. I worked at a fairly popular café in the city, and the pay was enough to cover our living expenses.
"I just had a strange dream," I replied.
"A strange dream... don't tell me it's like the one you had before?!"
I nodded slowly. This was the second strange dream I had experienced. The first one happened four years ago, when I was still in my third year of high school. Strangely, this second dream occurred four years later. But the setting and situation were different from the first one—this one was more relaxed and calm compared to the first, which was more intense and eerie.
Fortunately, I didn't fall into a long sleep like I did after the first strange dream. Back then, I had slept for two months. Luckily, I woke up, even though it felt like only two days had passed in that first strange dream.
"Yeah, Cerry. It seems like I had another strange dream," I said. "But this time, it was more relaxed and calm, and thankfully, it didn't make me sleep for too long."
Cerry furrowed her brows, her face showing deeper concern. "Thank goodness you didn't sleep for too long this time. Do you want to tell me what happened? Maybe I can help."
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts to explain what I had experienced. But how could I explain something that even I didn't understand? The mysterious man, the collapsing dream, the darkness that swallowed everything... It all felt so real, yet so unreal.
"I... I'm not sure," I finally replied. "There was someone talking to me, but he didn't seem human. He said... my life would be filled with obstacles, suffering, and madness. And then everything collapsed, and I fell into the darkness..."
Cerry moved closer, gripping my hand tightly. "Bro, it was just a dream. No one is going to torture you. I'm here, we're together. We can get through anything, right?"
I looked at her, trying to calm the unease that still gnawed at my mind. This girl, my sister, had always been my source of strength. But this time, for some reason, her words weren't enough to dispel the fear lingering in my heart.
I sighed again, trying to explain the indescribable feeling. "But it feels like... there's something lurking out there. Something dark, something we don't know about. And it... it's coming for us, or for humanity."
Cerry was silent for a moment, then smiled softly. "Bro, maybe you're just too tired. You haven't been sleeping well for the past week because of your night shifts at the café, right? How about we find a way to relax? Maybe we can go for a walk, or... or cook something together for breakfast. Anything to make you feel better."
I nodded slowly, though the discomfort still lingered. Maybe Cerry was right. Maybe I just needed rest and a little distraction. But in the back of my mind, the voice of the mysterious man still echoed.
"Believe in yourself. That is all you need."
I bit my lip, trying to push the voice out of my head. "Alright," I finally agreed. "Let's cook something. Do you have any ideas?"
Cerry's face lit up with a bright smile. "I have a new recipe I saw online! But you have to promise not to complain if it turns out weird, okay!"
I chuckled softly. "Promise. But don't poison us, alright?"
We both laughed, and for a moment, the unease seemed to fade. But deep down, I knew it was only temporary.
...