The Mercury Wars: The Clearing

Chapter 4 - Eindride

Sleek grey walls, marble pillars, gloss black tiles. All resembling dark mirrors around the entire space. The room is large and cold. It has no life or soul. It has very little colour except for the blue light that shines behind a single logo on the wall. It's too blurry to make out from this distance.

The desk in the centre of the room is far too big for just one person, but the large leather seat, sitting solo behind it states its use is just for that.

There is a sofa in the corner of the room, sitting against large floor-to-ceiling windows that allow in so much light, they look transparent in front of the city view. The dark grey curtains hang solid on either side of the windows as if they were rigid and made of metal.

There are no photos or personal items on the desk. Whoever's it is, holds little emotive value to this room. It is a place of business, somewhere where feelings and sentiments are not required for the task at hand.

The doorway in the corner of the room is closed, sealing the inhabitants within. It feels like a prison, yet there is nobody there. It brings intimidation and uncertainty.

The lamp on the desk is on, an unnecessary action considering the natural light that forces itself in from outside. The bent-over silver leads to a black metal that encloses the bulb. It shines a yellow light onto some paperwork.

The words aren't readable, looking like grey smudges on the paper. The format of it resembles a contract of sorts. There are faint signatures in blue ink at the bottom of it. A red stamp across the top corner.

Leaning closer doesn't help with seeing all the wording, but a logo in the corner does seem more visible. It's an artistic version of the letter M.

Looking up again, the same logo is now placed on the wall in front, positioned in the middle of the blue light that creates a halo effect around it.

Turning back to the door, the wall behind is now covered in the same letter, as if an infestation were taking over the edge of the room. The door swallowed behind the ever-expanding letters that keep coming.

Looking around the room doesn't bring any more comfort. The letter is multiplying and taking over at an alarming rate. The desk has disappeared, replaced by just the cold, reflective flooring.

The room begins to spin so fast, just twirling and becoming a blend of black, white and grey. Nothing visible, not even the letters.

It continues to spin, getting faster and faster. Causing adrenaline and fear to rise through the body. Breathing becomes rapid as the heartbeat places pressure upon the inside of the chest.

Feeling dizzy.

Feeling lost.

Feeling scared.

The focus changes as it feels like falling, the floor disappears and it resembles just plunging into the dark abyss as Connor wakes up.

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The soft hues bring a subtle tone to the room, lighting the darkness enough to make his surroundings visible, whilst enabling serenity to bounce from the walls. The sound of his surging breaths echoing around the place wakes his sleeping friend who races to his side and kneels beside his bed.

"Hey man," Link whispers, placing a hand on his knee where he sits upright. "You ok?"

Wide eyes stare back at him, concern and compassion seeing beyond the panic and confusion that plagues Connors mind.

"I... dreamed..." Connor finds the words getting stuck in his throat.

"It's ok, it's just a dream," Link soothes, climbing onto the bed and resting on his knees in between Connor's legs. "Just breathe slowly and count down from ten."