It wasn't like clouds moving, or sunlight breaking through.
It was as if the world itself paused.
And then I saw it.
A colossal red eye, stretched across the sky like a second sun—
No.
Like a wound torn into reality.
Its gaze pierced straight through me, and I knew without a doubt:
It was looking at me.
My thoughts scattered like dry leaves in a storm.
I couldn't breathe. My knees gave out, slamming me into the dirt.
My vision trembled. I tried to look away. I couldn't.
Something in my brain cracked.
And suddenly, I wasn't me anymore.
I was every failure. Every mistake.
Every version of myself that could've died.
I saw myself dying—over and over—torn apart, consumed, forgotten.
My fingers dug into the soil, and I didn't even realize I was screaming.
The world warped. My memories twisted. I forgot my name.
Forgot where I was. What I was.
I was breaking.
A warm wetness dripped from my nose, splashing on my arm—blood.
My vision pulsed red.
The wind screamed words I couldn't understand.
Or maybe it was me.
I didn't know.
I couldn't tell where I ended and the madness began.
Tick.
A sound.
Sharp. Familiar.
Like a second-hand clicking in a giant clock.
And just like that—everything stopped.
The pressure vanished.
My lungs sucked in air like I'd been drowning.
I collapsed, shaking, gasping, sobbing.
I blinked up at the sky.
The Eye was still there.
But now it was blurry. Unfocused. Like my mind had drawn a curtain over it.
Protecting me.
I touched my nose. Blood. Real. Warm. My lips quivered.
"What the hell was that…"
I wasn't cold anymore. I wasn't hungry.
I was just scared.
Terrified that something that big, that ancient, had seen me—
and nearly snapped my mind in half just by existing.
I don't know what that ticking was.
But I think it saved me.
I stumbled to my feet, gasping, still shivering.
And then I heard it.
A roar. Deep. Familiar.
I turned, and from the edges of the mist, they came.
Monsters.
Dozens.
Twisted things with too many limbs and broken, snarling faces.
Things I'd only ever seen alone, now all moving together.
And worse—they weren't just wandering.
They were running.
Toward me.
My shelter. My fence. My only home in this forsaken place.
I grabbed my wooden spear and bolted.
No hesitation. No plan. Just pure survival instinct.
I ran past the fence, past the pile of bones I used to sleep on, and didn't look back.
My legs burned. My lungs screamed.
But I couldn't stop—not now.
Whatever the Eye had done, it had shaken the mist.
And now they were awake.
I ran for a long time.
Didn't look back. Didn't need to.
The sound of claws and guttural screeches was enough.
My shelter—gone.
Even though it is a fence, they tore through it like paper.
I sprinted through the mist, lungs burning, legs screaming.
The ground changed—wet, cracked, sharp.
Didn't matter. I ran until the noise faded.
Until I was alone.
And then I kept running.
By the time I collapsed, I didn't know where I was. Just… far.
Farther than ever.
No food. No shelter. No safety.
The screeches behind me didn't stop.
The world blurred—gray, teeth, claws.
My strength? Gone.
But my fear? That stayed.
The mist thickened, wrapping around me like a living thing.
Then—something flickered above me.
I glanced up mid-sprint, gasping.
There were stars.
No. Not stars. Symbols. Glowing shapes in the mist above.
Like someone had drawn words into the sky with light.
[Forward.]
I froze.
What…?
Another illusion? A trick?
The monsters were close now. Too close.
The lights shifted.
[Now.]
Not a voice from inside my head.More like a feeling pressed into my chest.
Urgent. Familiar. Comforting.
The mist ahead began to swirl. Twist. Pull apart.
And then it opened.
A portal.
A slit in reality—not glowing or dramatic—just… there.
Behind it: trees. A clear blue sky. A forest untouched by nightmare.
I didn't think. I couldn't.
I ran through.
The moment I crossed, the sounds vanished.
The mist cut off like a slammed door.
I fell into soft grass.
It smelled like Earth.
Real dirt. Real wind. Real sun.
My heart thudded against my ribs.
I rolled onto my back, breathing hard.
Above the trees, the lights shimmered one last time:
[Rest.]
And then they vanished.
I didn't understand it.
But something—or someone—had seen me.
And for the first time in forever…
I wasn't running anymore.
The sky was blue.
I blinked up at it.
For a moment, I just… stared.
White clouds. Wind in the trees. Warm sunlight.
No mist. No monsters. No screams.
"…Huh."
I sat up slowly, expecting pain. But I felt… better. Not perfect.
Just not dying.
"Are you the voice in my head?" I asked the sky.
"The one that told me to wake up?"
Silence.
But this wasn't the same presence.
Not the ticking.
Not the weight of time pressing down.
This was different.
Warmer. Lighter.
"…So you're someone else."
No answer. Of course.
Are these mysterious voices introverts?
Somewhere ahead, the trees shifted.
Like something unseen was guiding me—gently.
I didn't know who this new presence was.
But I walked.
After some time, something moved in the grass.
My eyes widened.
A rabbit.
Plump. Juicy. Radiating roast potential.
"Finally. Finally… meat…"
I dropped to my knees like it was holy. My eyes sparkled.
My stomach sang the anthem of the damned.
Drool dripped from my chin.
"Come to papa…"
I crawled forward like a starving gremlin.
The rabbit didn't even notice me—foolish creature.
Today, I would dine like a king.
Then—
"AHHHHHHHHH!! MONSTER!!"
The rabbit bolted.
So did my soul.
I snapped my head up.
A girl. A human girl.
Standing at the edge of the clearing, eyes wide with primal terror.
She stared at me—at my dirt-smeared face, bloodstained clothes, and teeth bared in animal hunger.
I tried to smile.
Bad idea.
"STAY AWAY!!"
She ran. Fast.
"WAIT!" I stumbled after her. "I was going for the rabbit!"
"IT TALKS! THE MONSTER TALKS!!"
She screamed louder. Birds flew. Trees shook.
I chased her anyway. Not to harm her—but because she was the first human I'd seen in months.
And I needed answers.
To her?
I was the Blood-Covered Demon of Bunny Hunger.
Great. Just great.
But suddenly the forest ahead shifted.
She screamed again.
Not at me this time.
A serpent?
Huge. Ancient.
It slithered from between the trees, scales shimmering like wet obsidian, each the size of my torso.
Eyes like molten gold. Tongue flickering.
She froze.
I didn't.
Because I'd seen worse.
Things that shouldn't exist. Things that whispered while bleeding.
This? This was just a snake.
Even if it was the size of a damn bus.
It hissed and struck like lightning.
I moved.
My fist collided with its skull mid-strike.
Crack.
The sound echoed through the trees.
The serpent's head snapped sideways. Its body slammed into the forest floor with a seismic thud.
It didn't get back up.
I exhaled.
My hand barely hurt.
The girl stared at the massive corpse. Then at me.
Her face twisted—not in awe. In fear.
She wasn't afraid of the serpent anymore.
She was afraid of me.
And I couldn't blame her.
Because I wasn't afraid either.
Not of the serpent. Not of what I'd done.
I was calm.
Too calm.
The serpent had looked big. Deadly.
To someone else.
To me? It was barely a threat.
And the worst part?
…I was smiling.
Not because I was proud.
Because something deep inside me liked it.
I felt strong.
And as she backed away like I was some kind of monster…
Maybe she was right.