9 Days Before [2nd Draft]

P.2

The endless night sky dazzled between the translucent fog, revealing the remnants of the dark fog Crowley vaguely remembered as it dissipated into the vast expanse of space; Shooting stars captured his attention, drawing it toward a figure standing nearby.

This person had long, straight hair, shaved sides, and spiked-up back.

The spikes triggered a memory of the monolithic structure he had seen in his dreams. However, the memories, fleeting as they came, vanished along with the figure who waved a silent farewell.

With the last trace of the man, represented by an eye, a voice echoed in Crowley's mind. "I won't be gone for long."

After the eye disintegrated into dark particles, the endless night sky released rain, showering the entire plain.

Lightning illuminated the sky, revealing a crackled galaxy branching out like the lightning itself.

Reality shifted, swirling and vibrating into static, forming the faces of millions.

Their eyes mirrored the night sky, projecting dark fog tendrils, and their jaws detached in a way that stretched into emptiness, an unsettling sight that felt like staring into the void.

Crowley pulled back with the shift, the images scribbling away, dispersing into white particles.

{●}

Lin hurried to his tent, and as he opened it, the fabric vanished into finite particles, seamlessly transitioning him into an entirely different dream.

From his perspective, the shift felt natural, and upon entering the room, it transformed into a studio apartment, viewed from above.

Lin felt momentarily confused, but memories of this particular place flooded back to him.

He believed that he had lived there once-when he was much younger.

The memory was faint, almost like a stone-colored picture in his mind, but he was sure this was the place.

He shifted his gaze to his old bedroom, where he saw someone else lying there.

Their arms were folded behind their head, tapping their feet to the rhythm playing in their headphones.

Lin's perspective blended with that of the individual lying there. The beat resonated, and the foot bounced in perfect synchrony.

Dark particles formed lightly within the apartment, creating iridescent static that seemed to obscure the surroundings.

They collected together, creating an illusion of darkness, almost like a misty black hole. Unaware, Velern continued to move to the beat, the dark particles lashing at him, infiltrating his nostrils and mouth.

The man had assumed they were tiny invisible insects, attempting to swipe them away, but failing in their efforts.

The music shifted to a different tune, an orchestral composition.
They swayed to the rhythm, and a newfound clarity washed over him. His surroundings became vibrant and clear, and even his breathing felt sharper.

His attention was drawn to a figure, glimpsed briefly behind a standalone cooler.

Another figure appeared, catching his eye, but as he looked, it hid itself behind the machinery. Fear coursed through him, yet he let it pass.

The figure became clearer-faceless, with barely a mouth visible. Their eyes were sunken in, forming a band around their heads; Where the eyes once were.

Their skin appeared cracked and dry, ready to fall off by a single fragile touch.

The body…

pitch black, with hints of purple lining the cracks and flesh causing the illusion of vast emptiness.