Adventures Beyond The Void (Season 1)

Chapter 6: Where Are We Really?

3RD POV

Darkness. It was only darkness this time. Which was much better than instead of nightmares, even if the endless nothingness often drove Nicholas to madness. Every time he closed his eyes, it was always the same. Either he'd be staring into the black abyss, or haunted by his own subconscious.

Reality was cruel, so why would dreams be any better? He knew the drill. Over the years, he had learned to keep a part of his mind awake, which resulted to having partial control over his dreams.

At the beginning, he used this ability to have a safe space, where he could keep imagining happy and joyful scenarios of an unreachable future, a life he could 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 began letting go of those childish fantasies, unwilling to hope his life would ever change.

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

Sometimes, Marcus would snuggle with him in bed, his presence enough to keep the nightmares at bay, while providing Nicholas with a more relaxing sleep.

It felt 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, his body was waking up.

After a few moments, his eyes fluttered open, only for him to squeeze them shut again as a bright blue light flooded his vision. Once adjusted, Nicholas slowly opened them fully and took in his surroundings.

He was lying on a bed with brown sheets. The mattress beneath him felt surprisingly fancy and quite cozy. The room itself wasn't very large, but it was pleasantly decorated. Stone brick walls lined with a few candles surrounded him, their flames casting warm flickers of light. There were some chairs, and a small table holding a bowl filled with strange-looking fruit. Overall, the place looked like something straight out of the Middle Ages. But what truly stood out was the source of the blue light.

Turning his head to the left, Nicholas noticed a small wooden table. On it, sat a peculiar-looking plant. There was no flower pot, just several green leaves blooming outward in a neat circle, and in the center lay a fruit that resembled a pomegranate. Only instead of red, it was blue, and it emitted a thin beam of cyan light straight up toward the ceiling. The glowing energy formed a faint, shimmering force field around him and Hunter, enclosing them in its protective aura.

Wait.... HUNTER!? HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT HIM?! Hunter was laying on another bed, still in deep slumber. Breathing a sigh of relief, Nicholas started analyzing their situation. They were somehow not torn to shreds or blown to pieces.

Even though it hurt his still-not-fully awake mind, he tried recalling the last thing he saw before passing out. He remembered the creature was about to blast them, but before doing so, it was attacked from behind by something that pierced through the crystal on its chest.

The images were a bit blurry and the scenes inconsistent, probably due to the blood loss, but he could've sworn he saw a woman walking towards him through the smoke. Because of the haziness in his vision, her body looked like a distorted black blur, but what stood out perfectly clear, were her glowing, scarlet eyes.