𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 ✧ (𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐝) [on hold]

✧ Chapter 5 : The Philosopher ✧

I woke up in the Emptiness again, a drop of light in a sea of darkness. I looked around and saw a person standing still not too far from me. Their silhouette wasn't well defined for they were wearing a cloak and a hood as dark as the pitch-black infinity around us. They were turning their back to me.

Is it the person I saw in my previous dream? Probably. I grew slightly scared to say the least : they did try to strangle me last time. Who are they?

"Who are you?" I asked, breaking the perfect silence.

They turned their head to look back at me over their shoulder. And I saw they were wearing a mask so white it almost seemed to shine in the dark.

That emotionless mask kind of frightened me but I still had the guts to speak again. "What did you mean last time? What did I do?" I asked.

The cloaked form turned around to face me properly. "You know it. You know the answer."

Their voice was monotonous, soft - not angry in the slightest. Definitely a man's voice. But this man appeared much less aggressive than the one from my previous dream. Yet something tells me they were the same person. It was that same voice that seemed to echo in stereo.

"No, I don't." I replied. "I am not the betrayer. I am the betrayed."

"How could you tell? You don't even know who you are." he retorted calmly.

Maybe my mind was tricking me, but it seemed like the mask was smiling at me. I reached out for it and tried to touch it, but the cloaked man seemed to be sliding back.

He turned away and ran away from me. It was like he was skidding in the darkness as some ungraspable shadow, his black cloak floating in his tracks.

I immediately chased after him. I pleaded him to stop. After a while - and to my greatest surprise - he did.

I bent over and rested my hands on my knees, panting to catch my breath. "Please... I.. need answers." I puffed out.

"Don't we all?" the man said, and I swear the mask smiled at me for a split second before going back to normal.

Am I losing my mind?

I gave up on trying to obtain clear answers from the cloaked man and instead stepped forwards. I found myself wishing he didn't run away again and to my surprise, he didn't.

I focused some more and tried to reach out for the white mask that was covering his face. The man didn't budge and let me extend my hand. I was expecting the cloaked man to vanish again anytime.

I held my breath when I finally succeeded in touching the white surface of the mask with my fingertips. I caught my lower lip between my teeth nervously.

I'm going to take it off. Finally, I'm about to see who the cloaked man is, and understand why I come here every time I dream.

The cloaked man didn't budge as I grabbed the edge of the mask. I was about to take it off when-

I gasped and woke up all sweaty. I took a quick look around, confused. No ! God damnit ! Why now?

I noticed my heart was beating a bit too fast for my own liking. I took a few deep breaths and focused on making it slow down.

Lindsey was out like a light, her head resting in the crook of my neck. We were still slumped on her couch. I gently moved her aside and sat up, panting slightly.

I hadn't had time to see the man's face or even the color of his skin. But my instinct told me he is not just anyone. But who could he be? What did I do to him? He didn't sound angry but... hurt.