𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

The moon hung in the velvet sky, casting a silver glow upon the sleeping landscape. Shadows danced mysteriously through the darkness as if whispering secrets only the night could comprehend. The air was cold, carrying an eerie feeling that sent a shiver down your spine as the realm where reality and imagination converged, holding their breaths, urging reflection under its starry display.

*CLACK*

*CLACK*

*CLACK*

*CLACK*

A certain man ventured into a certain dark alleyway where the oppressive silence engulfed him like a shroud.

Allen did what his friends told him— and that was venturing forth the dark alleyway again. But who could've guessed that he'd be venturing forth in the middle of the night?

The flickering overhead lights barely pierced the gloom, casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to stretch and twist with each hesitant step. The narrow passage, flanked by looming brick walls, echoed with the distant drip of water, creating an eerie rhythm that reverberated through the clandestine corridor.

The murkiness clung to the air, thick and mysterious, as if it held the secrets of forgotten whispers. Graffiti-covered surfaces hinted at the transient artistry of those who sought refuge in this nocturnal realm. A distant siren's wail underscored the uneasy ambience, amplifying the feeling of trespassing in a realm where time moved differently.

Each footfall resonated, a solitary heartbeat in the darkness, and the occasional scurry of unseen creatures heightened the sense of being watched. The alley unfolded like a labyrinth of uncertainty, revealing hidden alcoves and discarded remnants of urban life. Amidst the uncertainty, a distant alley cat's plaintive meow added a touch of melancholy to the nocturnal symphony.

Navigating the enigma of the alley, Allen became acutely aware of the delicate dance between curiosity and caution, threading through the shadows that clung to the secrets woven within the city's forgotten passages.

*WHOOSH*

Within the dimly lit alleyway, he finally saw the familiar coffin he saw that day. The coffin laid on its glory as if cradled by the embrace of eternal slumber. Crafted from rich, ancient oak, its surface bore the traces of centuries – weathered, yet retaining an air of regal mystique. The ornate carvings, reminiscent of gothic artistry, adorned the lid like a silent hymn to the darkness.

Allen was mesmerized by the fact he was seeing this for real. It proves the point that he wasn't hallucinating back then.

"Wow..." He took a closer look and was astonished by the strange symbols that were carved around the coffin. He ran his fingers around them, observing them since he couldn't decipher those symbols.

As moonlight spilt through the obscured alleyway, it painted a silvery portrait on the coffin's surface, revealing the delicate etchings that adorned its sides. The atmosphere, pregnant with the weight of the centuries, invoked a sense of both reverence and trepidation for the creature that lay within – a nocturnal sovereign in a realm between life and the infinite night. The air itself seemed to hum with the essence of ages, a potent elixir that whispered of the undead's lingering presence.

Allen was so busy admiring the coffin that he forgot his purpose of going there.

"Oh right! The picture!" As Allen was about to snap a picture is the coffin, it suddenly opened itself.

*CREAK*

The lid of the coffin creaked open with a haunting slowness, revealing the interior bathed in an unearthly luminescence. Wisps of a spectral mist unfurled along with the black butterflies that suddenly emerged within, as if the very air recoiled from the revelation. A sweet, almost metallic scent lingered, a potent mixture of age and immortality.