Aren stood before the imposing entrance to Sapphire Auditorium, his heart pounding in his chest.
The structure loomed above him, a monolithic sentinel carved from blue-grey stone, its intricate carvings and vast archways reflecting the light of the sun. He took a deep breath, his thoughts racing back to his eerie journey here.
As he had made his way through the sprawling, labyrinthine streets of the massive city, Aren couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his gut. Despite the city's grandeur, with its towering skyscrapers and expansive boulevards, he hadn't seen a single person.
No bustling crowds, no rushing commuters, no street vendors peddling their wares. The city was eerily silent, a ghost town where the echoes of his footsteps seemed the only evidence of life.
Each corner he turned, each street he crossed, presented the same unsettling emptiness. Storefronts stood dark and vacant, their windows covered in dust and grime. Public parks, which should have been filled with the laughter of children and the chatter of families, were deserted, their benches overgrown with creeping vines and wildflowers reclaiming the space. Even the vehicles, parked haphazardly along the curbs, appeared abandoned, a thin layer of dirt masking their once-polished exteriors.
The only sounds that accompanied Aren on his solitary journey were those of the natural world. The distant roar of the ocean waves crashing against the rocky shoreline echoed through the empty streets, a constant reminder of the vast, untamed sea just beyond the city's limits. The wind, carrying the scent of salt and brine, howled through the alleys and narrow passages, its mournful cry the only response to his unspoken questions.
As he approached the Sapphire Auditorium, the gusts of wind seemed to grow stronger, swirling around him with almost sentient force. The air was charged with the energy of the anemo, a powerful and unpredictable force that seemed to dance and weave through the city at its own whims. It whipped through his hair and tugged at his clothes, urging him forward even as a sense of dread settled deeper into his bones.
But Aren knew, he wasn't entirely alone. He had the device.
A sleek, digital iPad-like gadget that he had mysteriously found next to him when he woke up in this strange city... on its screen was a group chat with fourteen other people who, like him, had no idea how they had ended up here.
The messages were a lifeline, a tenuous connection to others sharing his bewildering experience.
---
Haneen: Does anyone remember anything before waking up here?
Joshua: No.
Mason: ...Yes, but I dunno how it's related.
Haneen: I'm not even aware of how I obtained this device. By any chance, did anyone else find it next to them when they awoke?
Jasmine: yeah. it's like someone put it there on purpose.
Elizabeth: but who? and why? if y'all can't figure that out, i ain't sticking with a group of dumbasses.
Reza: anyways... same here. every1 saw the message abt sapphire audi, ryt? im almost there. the place looks... ominous.
Bailey: Should we trust it? What if it's a trap?
Joshua: Are you stupid? We don't have a choice. This city is a ghost town. We need answers.
---
Steeling himself, Aren stepped across the threshold, the grand hall swallowing him in darkness.
YOU ARE READING
Flicker AE: Shadows Of Leronzo
Mystery / Thriller𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.. 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬... When the lights go out, the murderer strikes. In the once-thriving Sapphire District, now a desolate shell of its former self, fifteen individuals find themselves abducted and coerced into a deadly game of survival. Force...
