The Beast. Book One Of The Dragon, Beast, Shadow And Saviour.

Chapter Three. Hiro Holmes

I wake up in a state of disorientation, my senses dulled by the oppressive darkness that surrounded me. It was as if I had been submerged in a sea of black marsh, its slimy tendrils pulling at my limbs, dragging me deeper into its suffocating confines.

Ugh.

Where the hell am I?

Panic filled my vains as I struggled to pull myself out, but the marsh seemed to have a mind of its own, determined to claim me.

A faint light flickered in the distance, barely visible amidst the darkness.

I needed to get to that light.

I strained and exerted every ounce of strength, wheezing from the pain it caused in my chest.

So close...C'mon, just a little-

A chilling snicker echoed in the darkness, sending shivers down my spine.

I was not alone...

Warily, I called out, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and frustration.

"Who's there?!"

No response.

The marsh seemed to get more persistent, dragging me more into its confines.

~Ugh~

Another snicker reverberated in the dark, more high-pitched than before.

Seriously?

Frustration built within me as it became louder and more frequent the more I struggled.

"Oh yeah? This is funny to you, huh?"

More snickers bounced off the walls.

Well, they weren't very friendly.

I just needed to ignore them for awhile, and focus on getting out of this stupid marsh.

But as if it heard my plans, the marsh grew more persistent the more I struggled, and soon, I found myself face first in it.

The snickers turned into cackles, loud perturbing cackles, that seemed to bounce of the walls of whatever this place was.

If it had walls.

The louder it got, the more I felt bile rise to my throat as I viciously fought against the marsh.

"Help me!" I pleaded, hoping that maybe, just maybe, someone else, anyone, would hear my desperate cry. But instead of a reassuring response, the cackles seemed to get louder, piercing my ears.

Soon, more voices joined, follow by more and more, until the room was filled with a cacophony of mocking laughter.

Agitation built within me, fueled by the relentless snickers that seemed to taunt my every move. I tried to cover my ears- when I finally freed my hands-to block out the sound, but it was futile. The snickers penetrated through, piercing my eardrums like sharp needles.

A yell built up within me, a primal scream of frustration and anger. I gathered all my strength and released it, expecting the sound to reverberate in the darkness
But to my horror, no sound reached my ears. Confusion washed over me, mingling with the panic that already consumed my being.

And then it hit me like a thunderbolt.... There was no air.. anymore?

Panic took over me, and I gasped for breath, my lungs meeting with emptiness.

How was it possible? there was just air minutes ago, what was this place exactly, and how where the people still cackling, even getting louder?

How?

How?

How?!

Panic raged in me, destroying every part of my body. My mind raced to try and comprehend the situation, but to no avail.

How was there no air? That's not possible.

Shit! Shit! Shit! I was losing consciousness!

Struggling to move, I tore at the marsh that clung to me, desperate to free myself from its suffocating embrace. The snickers getting louder and louder, mocking my feeble attempts to escape. They seemed to revel in my torment, feeding off my fear and confusion.

Everything around me started to spin, the room becoming a blur of darkness and light. I fought to stay conscious, to cling to the last shreds of awareness, but it was a losing battle. The world began to fade, slipping away like sand through my fingers.

With one final effort, I tried to steady myself, but my legs gave way beneath me. I fell to the ground, my body limp and lifeless. Darkness enveloped me, and I succumbed to the void, unaware of what awaited me on the other side.