Lucid

CHAPTER 9 - DARKNESS STRIDES

The closer you get to the source, the stronger its effect. That's one of the common laws of our world, one that can be applied to almost everything.

The closer you are, the stronger you get.
The closer you are, the clearer it gets.
The closer you are, the livelier they get.

A simple law, yet it covers such a wide range of things and possibilities. A law that not only applies to our world but to him as well. He's been brought closer to the source, and not just one source. Many. Multiple. Nearly every source of our world has felt his presence.

It'll be like a drug that's never been taken. A high no one else feels.
A light he'll never see coming...

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"What do you think of the supernatural?"

The question startled me.

We were sitting on a dry, mossy rock near the edge of a sprawling lake. The water glimmered softly under the overcast sky, its stillness soothing. I didn't recognize the place, but it felt strangely familiar—like I'd seen it before, day after day, in dreams I couldn't quite remember.

"What do you mean?" I asked, picking up a smooth stone and tossing it into the lake. The ripples spread outward in perfect, hypnotic circles.

Their voice wavered, carrying an edge of nervousness that tugged at a distant memory. "Is it, like, scary to you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it scares me. I mean, look at Twilight," I replied with a grin, pleased when they chuckled. "But honestly, it's a weird question. I don't think I find the idea of it that bad."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

I reached for another stone, throwing it harder this time. It hit the water with a louder splash, sending droplets flying into the air. But as the ripples expanded, the water changed. Where the stone had landed, an oily blackness spread like ink, devouring the surface of the lake.

I turned to them for reassurance—but they were gone.

The blackness consumed the lake quickly, bleeding into the sandy edges and swallowing everything in its path. The light around me dimmed until only shadow remained, pressing in on all sides. The birch trees standing proudly moments ago twisted into monstrous dark oaks, their skeletal branches clawing at the air.

I scrambled to my feet, heart pounding. "Hello?" My voice broke the silence, but there was no answer. Only the distant echo of whispers, rising from the darkness.

There are things that exist, things that are difficult to explain.

A chill ran through me, the air turning icy. I hugged my jacket close, my breath misting in the cold. My feet carried me away from the lake, away from the creeping blackness. The crunch of leaves and twigs beneath my boots echoed like gunshots in the stillness.

It isn't like the movies and shows. Ours is different.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent. My walk became a jog, my eyes darting around the oppressive darkness. A thousand eyes seemed to watch me from the trees, and a suffocating sense of dread clawed at my chest.

There's a lot we know, a lot you still need to know. But right now, you're our biggest wonder.

I started running, my breaths coming in sharp gasps. My mind raced as I stumbled over roots and underbrush. The voices in the darkness followed, their tone shifting between curiosity and malice.