A Rising Star of the City

Ch.3: Rats

Today, I had a terrible nightmare.

It didn't last very long but it was enough to leave me with sweats falling down my face. An unknown sensation of fear was overpowering me and my breathing was irregular, I couldn't think straight. Thankfully, nobody was around, allowing me to focus on recovering my thoughts and ponder back on that horrifying scene. I looked down and saw my hands shaking, trembling after going what I've gone through.

...Right, that nightmare. Come on Y/N, it's just a dream... at least I hope. I quickly shook my head to disapprove of the possibility that it wasn't and let out a deep sigh of relief, knowing that I was out of that stressful experience. I leaned against the wall behind me and glanced at the ceiling above my head, finding comfort in the golden pages floating all around me.

With that, I closed my eyes, trying to rewind that nightmare I've gone through. I knew that if I were to ignore it, it would simply haunt me. So, I braced myself and stepped back into unknown territory in order to better comprehend what I've witnessed, to look at it with a better perspective.

It's all a terrible nightmare, just like this place, these circumstances.

...

I don't know how long I've been stuck in this place. Each moment felt like a day, a week sometimes and without a way to tell the time, I was left on my own to guess the date. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go and nobody to talk to most of the time so I simply remained by the wall opposing the only door leading outside of this room, sitting down and counting the dust on the floor.

The room was completely pitch black with the exception of the light coming from under the door and a lantern placed on the ground. It wasn't even a real one but rather an item capable of making artificial light that looked like a lantern. The place I was locked in was devoid of windows, stopping me from seeing the outside world and possibly give myself a notion of time.

I was all alone in an almost completely room, hugging my own legs to make the wait less painful. I wanted to go to sleep, to escape this lonely reality but a burning sensation was keeping me awake and attached to this world.

"..."

I looked down at my fingers, only to see a terrible sight. After so many struggles to get out, so many attempts to open, lockpick and even break the door, my hands were in a pitiful state. Fingernails were scattered on the floor and dried blood was stuck on my fingers. Slowly but surely, fingernail after fingernail, I was beginning to make scratch marks on the door locking me away from the rest of the world. However, the process was painful and often leaving me agonizing on the floor.

Yet, I refused to give up, I wanted to see what was on the other side. I wanted to see what was being hidden from me. I tightened my fists and once more hardened my resolve, my eyes glancing back at the door.

Then, like a fairytale, a faint 'click' came from the other side, the door was unlocked by some exterior force. My eyes widened just before the door opened, letting in a beam of sunlight that almost blinded me. I hurriedly covered my eyes and stood on my feet. Sadly, this light of hope was soon extinguished, the door closed once more and locked. The one who opened it was now inside, looking at me.

I couldn't see their face, nor their figure, I just knew that they were there and it was enough for me to make my legs tremble.

"You've been scratching the door again, haven't you?"

I remained silent, frozen in fear. The voice came from over my head, making me feel like a child in comparison. Sensing that I wouldn't answer, a pair of footsteps slowly made their way closer and pointed at the broken fingernails on the ground.