"Dammit, dammit, dammit. What the hell is happening?"
Running through the streets, I searched for any signs of life.
Silence.
The more I ran, the more I found myself trapped in an abandoned town. It was as if I had been transported into a different world, one devoid of life.
"Anyone! Is there anyone!"
I continued to shout out loud, hoping for a response that never came.
"ARGHHH! SOMEONE PLEASE JUST ANSWER ME!"
'Why, why is this happening to me.'
I ran.
And ran.
Running, away.
Not looking back.
'There! There it is!'
In front of me stood a lone building. It had a big red sign on top of its door.
"Braveheart Bar."
Approaching the bar, I reached out my hand.
Step by step, I saw the door closing in.
Reaching out, I touched it.
***
"Hmm, why did you suddenly stand, Amon?"
'Huh?'
I blinked my eyes, looking directly at Headmaster Silas.
'Why am I here? No--what was I doing again?'
'Didn't I come here to ask the Headmaster about Graham?'
Something seemed off. Wasn't I sitting down? Why am I standing up now?
"You asked me about Graham, right? Well, I did receive a letter from him a week ago. I could show you if you want."
"Uh, uh, yes..."
Sitting back down, I felt a strong sense of déjà vu. It was like I had this exact conversation before.
Looking at the table, I saw the completely empty cup of black tea that Headmaster Silas had served me.
"Um, may I ask? What type of black tea is this?"
"Oh, this is Bethmouth Black Tea. I imported it straight from the capital."
"I see..."
'Bethmouth, it is a high-quality tea.'
My mind felt sluggish, like it was clouded with many useless thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly.
'Argh.'
I placed my hand on my temple, rubbing it hard, fighting off the headache.
'Why am I feeling like this? Something is wrong. Very wrong.'
I had only just entered Headmaster Silas' office, sitting down to drink his tea. I hadn't even asked many questions yet.
Grabbing the letter that he placed on the table, I pushed through the pain and started to read its contents.
'Dear Silas Hargreaves, my dear friend, I will be going on a holiday to visit my extended family. I do not know when I will be back, but I will definitely get you a gift for when I do return. Yours sincerely, Graham Hensley.'
'That's it? Nothing else?'
I looked back up towards Headmaster Silas, expecting more answers.
"Well, usually around this time of year he would visit his family in the capital, so his absence is to be expected."
'He... he isn't lying. I can tell by the way he moves his hands and by the way he talks.'
"Argh!"
Gripping my head, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain.
"Amon, are you ok?"
Headmaster Silas swiftly made his way to my side, his smile replaced with a face full of concern.
'I... I need to go home...'
Unable to handle the splitting headache, I quickly excused myself.
Stumbling out of the room, I carefully made my way down the stairs, holding the railings to ensure I didn't fall.
As soon as I was out of the building, the light from the setting sun hit me. Though I felt that I had only spent a few minutes in the Headmaster's office, the whole afternoon had passed.
Making my way out of the University, I walked through the streets holding my head throughout. Fumbling with the map, I tried my best to follow the directions to get back home.
Before long, the sun had already set.
It was nearly pitch black; it made my journey home even more of an impossible task. It felt like I was going to pass out at any moment, but I kept walking.
Walking and walking.
The darkness surrounding me seemed to come alive, latching onto my body.
'Where am I? Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? Why am I not home?'
I did not want to spend a moment longer in this darkness.
It was cold.
Just as all hope seemed lost, I spotted a familiar red sign in the distance.
"Braveheart Bar."
Mustering what strength I had left, I ran towards it.
'Just a little more!'
"Click."
I opened the door to the bar, stepping in. The warm light from the gas lamp covered me, the darkness around me fading away.
For a bar, it was surprisingly quiet. There weren't many customers—in fact, there were only three, along with one bartender.
"Oh? A patron?"
Looking surprised, the bartender placed down his glass onto the table, inspecting me.
"Wait, aren't you that guy who passed out the other night?"
"He is, isn't he!"
"What—no, how did you get here, boy?"
The three customers turned towards me, asking questions and chatting amongst themselves.
'They seem to know me?'
Though the darkness had disappeared, the headache still persisted. Stumbling forward, I looked at them with bloodshot eyes.
My whole body was haggard, hair disheveled. I looked like a madman.
"I..."
Trying to speak, my voice was hoarse, making it inaudible.
My throat felt dry, as if I were stranded in a desert without a drop of water.
Taking another step forward, I collapsed to the ground, my legs giving out beneath me.
"Hey, kid!"
Two of them jumped out of their seats, one running up towards me.
'I have to speak... I need help.'
'Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpme.'
"Help me."
Finally, just as I managed to call for help, I felt my consciousness sink into the darkness.
My eyelids became heavy.
My body went completely limp.
My mind shut off.
As I drifted to sleep, I heard the voices of the three people calling out to me.
'One of them sounds angry, another seems shocked, the last was indifferent.'
"Shit! What the hell? How did he appear here just to pass out once again?"
"We should just send him to the hospital once again."
"Wait! Something is off."
Right then, the lights within the bar started to flicker. The tables began to shake. Glasses shattered one by one.
"Screech!"
A loud, piercing scream echoed through the bar, causing everyone in it to cup their ears in an attempt to block out the sound.
Black smoke burst through the door, covering the room in a dense fog that obscured everyone's vision.
"Illuminate!"
From within the fog, a bright light shone outward, pushing the smoke away and creating a small circle clear of it.
"Attention everyone! Prepare for battle against a wraith!"
***
Once again, I was floating within the abyss.
Endless darkness stretched outward in all directions, never-ending.
From within, I heard a voice—it was my voice.
I was speaking to a man.
"Are you sure about this, Professor Graham?"
"Yes, I am! And didn't I tell you to stop calling me professor? I already quit that University a long time ago."
The darkness started to shift, forming the scene of me speaking to Professor Graham.
I stood beside him, holding what looked like a mirror. Graham was drawing on his house floor, forming a diagram.
'Was I performing a ritual with him?'
The scene continued, Graham taking the mirror from my hands and starting to chant.
"From within the dark. The lost wanderer. Grudges that will never be resolved. The one who hunts. Show yourself to me!"
Smashing the mirror onto the ground, one of the shards of glass cut his hand, causing blood to drip down.
Once the blood touched the diagram, it started to light up, glowing brightly. Dark smoke began to emerge, quickly filling the spacious room.
From within the darkness, a creature began to take shape.
At the same time, Graham was repeating a phrase.
"To observe is to understand both humans and the unnatural."
"To observe is to understand both humans and the unnatural."
"To observe is to understand both humans and the unnatural."
"..."
As the figure of the creature became more corporeal, a strange attraction began to form around Graham, twisting the smoke into a small vortex around him.
"Graham! This is different from what you told me would happen! What is this?"
Ignoring my question, Graham continued his mantra without stopping for a second.
Clearly annoyed and scared, I started to back off from both Graham and the creature, observing from a safe distance.
The figure of the creature was now fully visible.
Floating in the air and shaped like a long snake, it had glowing blue eyes and a crown made of bones atop its head.
Its skeletal body, while coiled, filled the entire center of the room—blue veins within pumping energy throughout it.
It had a forked tail, the jagged ends of the bones sharpened to a point.
Graham, on the other hand, had also undergone a change.
The vortex around him had reached its peak, swirling the smoke violently before quickly dying down.
"Yes! Finally, I've done it! I have successfully grasped a portion of the road to enlightenment! I am now a—"
However, before Graham could finish, the creature whipped its tail toward him.
His head burst like a watermelon, splattering all throughout the room—gray brain matter squirming on the ground.
"Graham!"