DELONIX [COMPLETED]

Chapter 55: Ignited Awakening

| RED'S POV|

Inside her mind

Everywhere was enveloped in an eerie silence, a stark contrast to the excruciating pain that had consumed me when the creature feasted on my blood. In this moment of stillness, I found solace. The absence of noise, the absence of Gwen, and the absence of the relentless pursuit by those who sought to end my life-it was a rare moment of respite. The desire to surrender to the tranquility and indulge in blissful slumber tugged at my weary mind. Yet, amidst the calm, one name echoed relentlessly within me.

Nicholas.

He was out there, locked in a fierce battle against the very same creature that had tormented me. And here I was, confined to this place of serenity, detached from the struggle. It felt wrong. I longed to be by his side, to lend him my support, but I felt utterly powerless. I couldn't even control my own abilities, save for the moments they surged forth uncontrollably in response to imminent danger or a sudden surge of emotion. But now, in this tranquil atmosphere, nothing stirred within me. My body melded with the serene surroundings, my life force slowly draining away.

I had to wake up.

With painstaking effort, I forced my eyelids open, gradually bringing the world into focus. To my surprise, I found myself standing amidst an expanse of nothingness. I glanced down at my form, realizing that here, in this subconscious state, I was unencumbered and unscathed. Perhaps that was why the shards of glass that had pierced me left no trace of their presence. Tentatively, I began to move, searching for any sign of existence in this void. But all I encountered was darkness-a vast, impenetrable void that swallowed everything in its wake. Whispers, faint and haunting, called out my name, tinged with a hint of familiarity. It was different from the malicious voices of the past, which had harbored nothing but a thirst for my demise. Instead, there was a strange allure to these whispers, evoking a peculiar mix of emotions within me. Fear, although present, failed to consume me as it once had. I had grown accustomed to the torments that plagued this realm.

As I pressed on, determined to uncover the source of these whispers, I caught sight of a weathered, brown door materializing out of the darkness. It stood there, unassuming yet intriguing. Curiosity piqued, I approached it cautiously, my fingers grazing the worn knob. Uncertainty gnawed at me, questioning the wisdom of my decision. But the darkness that surrounded me was suffocating, and I harbored an intense aversion to its oppressive grip.

In a trance-like state, I gingerly turned the doorknob, allowing the door to swing open with a barely audible creak. As the door yielded to my touch, a blinding radiance burst forth from within, searing my vision. Overwhelmed by the brilliance, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut, shielding them from the intensity of the light. After a moment, I summoned the courage to open my eyes once more, and a breathtaking sight greeted me.

I stood upon a seemingly endless expanse of water, its surface shimmering with an otherworldly luminescence. It was impossible to discern whether this vast body of water was the mighty ocean or some ethereal manifestation of the subconscious realm. Strangely, I felt no sensation of drowning or the familiar touch of moisture upon my skin. It was as though the laws of nature had been suspended in this enigmatic place.

The surroundings were shrouded in a gentle mist, veiling the world in an ethereal haze. Though my vision was obscured, I could discern faint shapes and shadows dancing in the distance. With cautious anticipation, I dipped my toes into the water, expecting to feel the cool embrace of liquid. Instead, only ripples cascaded outward from the point of contact, the water parting effortlessly beneath my weightless step.

"This is crazy," I murmured, my voice swallowed by the vast expanse. The sound of my own words reverberated through the air, echoing with an intensity that startled me. It was as if the very fabric of this realm absorbed and amplified the vibrations of sound, distorting them into a haunting chorus. Determined to make sense of my surroundings, I forged ahead, my feet gliding across the aqueous surface. I sought an anchor amidst the nebulousness, a path to guide me through this realm of mystique, but every step proved as elusive as the last.