The urgent requests and alluring whispers from whatever is waiting outside of my igloo continue for a long while before eventually turning into pure wailing. The sound makes me cover my ears in disgust. Panic begins setting in as the igloo shakes more violently and the wailing gets louder to a loud scream, till all of a sudden… silence. Nothing can be heard outside, not even the howling wind. My forehead turns slick with sweat as it drips down from my chin onto the cold snow floor beneath. I fully prepared myself to deal with other people, even preparing myself with the possibility that I might have to take a life, but who could have possibly prepared me for this? Sure I watch a lot of horror movies, analog-style horror tapes, and other things, but experiencing it first hand made my spine shiver with a feeling I haven't felt in quite a while. Fear. A thought forms in the back of my mind amidst the silence. Maybe it's safe to go check outside.
As I reach for the snow blocks covering the entrance, I glance back at Windborne, who is still on all fours seeming to be on high alert. He hasn't settled down yet. If he truly can sense something I can't, it would be best to rely on him. The silence lasted for what felt like hours upon hours before a loud grunt followed by a smack to the igloo startled me. The sound of the wind came back as the uneven crunching of snow got further and further away from my shelter. I glance back at Windborne and he finally seems to have calmed down a little, still on alert, but visibly less shaken up. We finally got some rest as about an hour passed and the faint light of the sun crept in through the small gaps of my igloo. I gripped my broken sword tightly and smashed through the entrance of my igloo, prepared to take on whatever was outside, but nothing was there. Just the faint dents on the outside and an unnatural trail leading away into seemingly endless snow.
I examine the footprints closer to see they are quite large and whatever thing was here could easily be over 6 and a half feet tall. It almost seemed as if it was limping from how unevenly the footprints are spaced. I take one last look before completely packing my things quickly and heading in the complete opposite direction of the footprints, which just so happen to be my next destination. Unfortunately, it seems we have to travel for at least a few more days before we arrive. Just thinking about the night now fills me with dread. After traveling a good distance and navigating the harsh terrain, the same darkness that I once adored but now feared began to cloak the night sky. Thankfully, I prepared in advance and already built the igloo, but bigger with some extra defenses. I have a small wall around it that crumbles easily, but it'll make enough noise for me to wake up if that thing decides to drop by again.
Staying awake isn't easy anymore. My previous fatigue, yesterday night, and constant trekking right after are making my eyelids as heavy as anvils. The howling of the wind turned muffled as I pulled the cloak tightly, shielding myself from the harsh cold. Info Nexus suddenly pops up.
"As a result of your sleep depravity and extreme exhaustion, you have been awarded a skill. Pendulum Cadence: a passive skill that-"
My eyelids drift close while I read till only the back of my eyelids and darkness remained.
Suddenly, I'm standing.
The air smelled with the familiar scent of macaroni and cheese, but there wasn't any in sight. This isn't my igloo; I was back in my childhood dining room. The layout itself seemed familiar with horrible distortions. The ceiling and walls stretched infinitely into the dark abyss upward while the windows only had a pitch black view. Now, I'm sitting at the end of the dining table. The other end sat my parents, their faces blurred and vague, but the suffocating feeling of their eyes locking on to me felt all the same. Between them sat a pile of old report cards and other people's grades piled as high as the eye can see.
"Look at Clyde," a voice echoed. It bounced off the walls in echoes and sounded distant, but I could already tell it was my father without even looking at his mouth. "He has good grades, good drive, a good future. What do you have?"
My throat tightened like barbed wires were wrapped around it. No words left my mouth. Should I tell them about my achievements, that I reached the top ranks of the Colosseum, that I saved a life?
I pondered for a moment.
Even if I did, they wouldn't listen anyway
I stood up firmly, only to find myself sinking into the floor of a discarded pile of exam papers. They curled up around my shin like vines anchoring me down to the floor.
"An average boy," my mothers distorted voice echoed from the shadows. "Always a burden. We're just taking care of you because you're our blood. Nothing more."
I clutched my chest as it tightened up with the familiar feeling of helplessness.
Clenching my fists, I tried to burn the papers away, the table, everything. But nothing came out. Because I lived my life suppressing emotions and bottling up so much pain, the energy had nowhere to go but back to me. The blue static violently arced through my knuckles, but shot upward. It snaked around my arm and bit me on my own chest.
As I fell to the floor in pain, the lifeless faces of my parents slowly faded away as they simply watched. I could tell, even if they were blurred, what kind of face they were making. A face of disappointment.
I jolted awake, springing straight up and hitting my head against the ceiling of the igloo. The pain seared me awake completely as I soothed my burning head. Windborne grunts angrily as he hangs in front of my eyes on a strand of hair.
Must've hit the poor guy into the ceiling. I thought to myself I grabbed him and began scratching his chin and belly.
"Sorry about that little guy, did it hurt? I bet it didn't for a big, strong dragon like you," I said like an owner playing with his pet.
After gathering my thoughts, I slowly exited the igloo. Nothing was there this time either. While I'm doing morning stretches, a thought hits me.
"Why don't you just fly me there," I ask Windy with a smirk on my face. "We'll be there in no time."
We might get spotted by some people, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Windy transforms into his largest form in a puff of smoke. I leap onto his back and hold on to his neck.
"Well then, no time for dawdling. We have a damsel in distress to rescue."