Vision Of Darkness

13: End.

Simoun slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry and disorienting. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that he was alone in the tower, with the lifeless body of the entity lying on the ground. He tried to stand up, but his arm still throbbed with pain, and he stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

As Simoun looked around the tower, he noticed something strange. There were no signs of a struggle. No blood, no broken furniture, no signs of a fight. It was as though the entity had simply dropped dead. Simoun couldn't understand it. He had seen the creature's power firsthand, had felt its strength and ferocity. How could it have just died like that? He searched the room for any clues, but found nothing that could explain what had happened.

As he examined the lifeless body of the entity, he noticed something strange. Its eyes, once glowing with an otherworldly light, were now dim and lifeless. It was as though something inside the creature had simply given out. Simoun wondered if perhaps there was some unknown force at work here, some kind of magic or power beyond his understanding. Or perhaps the entity had simply reached the limits of its power, its strength and energy depleted after its long battle with Simoun and the captain.
Simoun felt a sense of relief wash over him as he realized the entity was truly gone. But his relief was short-lived as he remembered the captain's sacrifice. He crawled over to the captain's lifeless body, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe the captain was gone, that his bravery and sacrifice had been for nothing. Simoun felt a deep sense of guilt for dragging the captain into this fight, for not being able to save him.

Finally, Simoun stood up, his body still aching and bruised. He knew he had to leave the tower and find a way to bring the captain's body back to his family. But as he made his way to the entrance, he noticed something strange. The tower, which had been shifting and changing shape just moments ago, was now completely still. It stood tall and proud, as if it had never been anything other than a tower.
Simoun's head began to spin, and he felt his legs give out from under him. He collapsed onto the ground, his body limp and lifeless. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of cool stone against his cheek and the distant sound of the wind howling outside. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the cave where his journey had begun. His head throbbed with pain, and his body was stiff and sore. For a moment, he lay there, disoriented and confused, unsure of what had happened to him.
Simoun sat up and looked around, his heart sinking as he saw that the captain's body was gone. It was as if it had never been there in the first place. Simoun's mind raced with questions. Had it all been a dream? Had he hallucinated the entire encounter with the entity and the captain's death?

He stood up and stumbled toward the cave entrance, his mind still trying to piece together what had happened. As he emerged from the cave, he saw that the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a warm, golden light over the landscape. Simoun looked out at the world around him, still unsure of what was real and what wasn't. But he knew one thing for certain—he would never forget the experience he had just been through, whether it was real or imagined.

As he made his way back to civilization, Simoun tried to shake off the lingering sense of unease and confusion that had settled over him. But deep down, he knew that he would never be the same again.

Or it is all a lie?