Discovering the Void

Chapter Six

The darkness was back, all around me. If there were walls or a ceiling, they couldn't be seen. Everything was pitch black. If this is what death is like, it seems... empty.

In a bit, I'll wake up like always... right? There was ground beneath my feet, though; I could feel that. Taking a step forward, there was still ground. Holding out my arms, I slowly walked and felt around, but there was nothing—just an endless void.

I paused, trying to steady my breathing, but noticed something unsettling. The usual pressure in my head, that constant, nagging weight, was gone. My chest, often tight with anxiety, felt strangely light. It was as if the darkness had absorbed all sensation, leaving me with nothing but an eerie calm.

I took another step, listening for any sound, any indication of presence, but there was only silence. The emptiness was profound, almost tangible. I waved my arms more vigorously, hoping to collide with something, anything, but it was futile. The darkness was unyielding, a black canvas devoid of texture or form.

If I shouted, would anyone hear? I opened my mouth, "Hello?" There could be sound here, but it was quick, swallowed by the darkness. Not long like an echo. The brief sound felt like a ripple in a vast, still ocean, quickly absorbed and forgotten.

I kept walking, each step a whisper against the unseen floor. There was no direction, no purpose—just an endless expanse of nothingness. If this was death, it was not the finality I had imagined but an unsettling, infinite limbo. And in this void, I was utterly alone, floating between moments, waiting for something, anything, to break the monotony of the dark.

Just then, I stepped on something. It was hard but not too big. Crouching down, I ran my hands over the ground where my feet were. What I grabbed was cold and metal. Feeling it around, I realized it was two sets of handcuffs. Why would these be here?

My mind began to wander, and I remembered the disappearing handcuffs from the MGC place. Surely these couldn't be the same handcuffs, could they? No. Still holding the cuffs in my hand, my body began to tingle. Everything started to turn into a blinding light, and then it was all gone.

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From what I felt, I was lying on a bed, one that felt vaguely familiar. The mattress was firm but not uncomfortable, and the sheets had a slightly rough texture as if they had been washed many times. I was about to open my eyes when I heard voices. It sounded like an agitated Ulf casually speaking to Hilde whom I had met the day before.

"Are you sure she is alive? She's been out for almost two hours!" Ulf huffed at Hilde, his voice laced with frustration.

"Her aura is still there; it wouldn't be if she were dead. It never left, just slightly changed color, but it's turning back to her regular aura," Hilde replied calmly, her tone soothing yet confident.

I could hear the soft thud of Ulf's boots against the floor as he paced, almost as if he were worried. "Is this normal? How many others do we know who can't die?" His voice held a mix of curiosity and concern.

There was a brief silence before Hilde spoke again. "She's the first I've ever met and witnessed, but I've heard of two others. And you know one of them." Ulf growled at the mention of the mutual acquaintance, a deep, guttural sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

"We don't know if this is a normal time; we don't know anything about this girl other than she needs us," Hilde continued, her voice steady but with a sharp edge to it. It was touching, but I've been alone most of my life. People wanting to help me felt odd, almost alien.