Midnight – The Return of the Figure
The air felt heavier now, like the entire world had become suffocating. Kael's pulse thudded in his ears as he ran through the village streets, but it was no use. The silence was all around him. The shadows twisted unnaturally, contorting and bending as though they were alive.
His thoughts were clouded with the strange figure he had seen in the alley, the voice that whispered his name, but even more so—why had it followed him? What was it waiting for?
Every step he took felt like he was wading through molasses. The weight of the presence was closing in, surrounding him with its chilling embrace. He glanced over his shoulder again, half expecting to see the figure standing in the alley, but the street was empty. There was nothing—nothing but the darkened buildings and the flickering lanterns.
And yet… he felt its eyes on him.
Kael's breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as he continued down the empty path, but then he stopped. The air shifted, a cold breeze sweeping through the streets as if a new presence had arrived. A sudden awareness prickled at the back of his neck.
Kael's eyes darted to the shadows, and there, at the far end of the street, he saw it again. The figure.
This time, it was not silent.
A low, guttural voice echoed from the figure's direction, "Kael…"
Kael's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know what to do. His instincts screamed at him to run, to escape—but there was nowhere to run. The village, with its eerie silence and strange inhabitants, had become a labyrinth. The figure had already anticipated his movements.
Step.
Another step, this time louder, more deliberate. The figure moved toward him, its presence pushing the air aside like an ominous tide.
Kael's body froze, his feet rooted to the cobblestone, his heart beating so loudly that he couldn't hear anything else. The figure was just a few steps away, and yet, its features remained hidden beneath the cloak. Only the faintest trace of pale skin could be seen beneath the hood.
"Who are you?" Kael forced the words out, his voice trembling despite his efforts to remain calm.
The figure stopped, its head tilting slightly, as though considering the question. Then, it spoke again, its voice a haunting whisper that seemed to resonate deep within Kael's mind.
"You should already know, Kael."
A chill ran down his spine. There was something about the voice, something that felt… wrong. It wasn't just the words—it was the way it sounded, the weight they carried.
Kael…
The name echoed in his mind, pulling at something deep within him, something that had been forgotten, buried. For a brief moment, his vision blurred, the world around him warping as memories flickered and flashed—fragments of another life.
He stumbled backward, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. What was that?
The figure didn't move, but it spoke once more, this time with more clarity. "You were once chosen. You made a choice."
Kael's breath caught. A choice. The voice—was it referring to his past life?
The fragments of his memories, the ones that had been slipping away like sand through his fingers, suddenly flooded back. A face. A place. A decision.
Kael's heart raced, a mix of dread and realization crashing over him.
The figure's gaze never left him. "Do you remember?"
For a moment, Kael couldn't respond. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but one thing was certain—he had been here before.
Before he could say anything, the figure took a step back. Kael's muscles tensed, ready to flee, but the figure only tilted its head once more.
"Not yet, Kael. You are not ready."
And with that, the figure vanished into the shadows, dissolving as if it had never been there.
Back in the Village – The Stillness
Kael stood frozen for a long time, his mind spinning. The last few moments felt like they hadn't been real. The figure's voice echoed in his ears, its cryptic words seeping into his thoughts.
You were once chosen. You made a choice.
What choice? What was it talking about?
His fingers tightened into fists as he glanced around the village, but the street was still eerily silent. The absence of people, the unsettling quiet—it felt suffocating. The presence, the figure… none of it made sense.
Kael turned toward his house, but a sudden urge to keep moving stopped him. Where could he go?
His thoughts were clouded, but one thing was clear—he needed answers. Answers about the figure, about the voice that had followed him, about the strange fragments of memory that were now pressing against his consciousness.
"I can't be alone in this," he muttered to himself.
But even as he spoke, the village around him seemed to hum with an ominous energy, as though it was alive with unseen eyes watching his every move.
And with that unsettling feeling gnawing at him, Kael finally made up his mind. He would have to leave the village. For now, it was the only option. But leaving it wasn't enough. He had to know the truth.
And he would start by finding the one who knew.
To Be Continued…