Adventures beyond the void

Chapter 6: Where are We Really?

3RD POV

Darkness. It would appear that it was only darkness this time. It was much better than experiencing nightmares, even though the endless nothingness of the void often drove Nicholas Blackwood to madness. Every time he closed his eyes. Always the same. Either he would be staring into the pitch black abyss, or he'd be haunted by his own subconscious.

Reality is cruel, so why would dreams be any better? He knew the drill. Over the years he had learned to keep a conscious part of his mind awake, resulting into him being able to vividly experience the variety of scenarios his brain would create, which gave him the ability to have partial control over his dreams.

At the beginning, he used said ability to have a safe space where he could keep imagining multiple happy and joyful moments of a future that would never come, a life he would never have. It was his way of coping with his depression.

A way to protect his sanity from completely crumbling. However, as he grew older, he started accepting the harsh world around him, slowly letting go of his childish fantasies, unwilling to believe that his life would ever change for the better.

So, just like he let all let the people around him mock him, insult him, or beat him up in the real world, he also allowed them to torment him even in his sleep. The only comfort was his beloved companion and only friend, his dog.

Sometimes, Marcus would snuggle with the boy in bed, as his presence alone was enough to keep the nightmares at bay, as well as provide Nicholas with a much more relaxing sleep.

It was like being covered with a warm blanket. Though this time, he felt as if he was floating underwater. Like taking a cool, refreshing bath, after being exposed to the intense heat of the summer sun. It was a welcoming sensation, one that Nicholas would prefer to cherish even more, but apparently the conscious part of his brain was starting to take control, waking him up as a result.

After a few moments, his eyes shifted and opened a little, though he immediately shut them, due to a bright blue light. Having adjusted to the brightness of the room, Nicholas fully opened his eyes and looked around, carefully observing his surroundings. He was laying on a bed with brown sheets. The mattress was very fancy and quiet cozy.

The room itself wasn't very large, but had nice decorations. The stone brick walls had a few candles on them, and there were some chairs and a table with a bowl that was filled with strange looking fruit. To sum it all up, the place looked like it was from the middle ages. But what really stood out was the light. Turning to his left, he saw a little wooden table, on top of which, was a peculiar looking plant.

There was no flower pot, only a few green leafs that were blooming in a circle, and in the middle was a strange looking fruit that resembled pomegranate a lot. Though instead of red, it was blue in colour and was emitting a small beam of cyan light to the ceiling. The energy had somehow created a force field of some kind that enveloped him and Hunter.

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'Wait.... HUNTER!? HOW DID HE FORGET ABOUT HIM?!'. He was also in the same room as Nicholas. Laying on another bed on his left, still in deep slumber. Breathing a sigh of relief, our protagonist started to analyse their situation. They were somehow not torn to shreds or blown to pieces by the monstrosity that attacked them in the forest.

Even though it hurt his still not fully awakened mind, Nicholas tried recalling the last events before he passed out. He remembered as the creature was about to blast them, but before it had the chance to do so, something had attacked it from behind, piercing through the upper body and destroying the red crystal on its chest.