The Shadows of Eternity

Oblivion

As Illyanna looked down at the wrinkled paper that laid on her desk, she couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't get it right.

Enveloping herself in the shadows of her own fantasy, she grazed the paper, lightly and gently, before scribbling off the words that were once written there.

It is no surprise Illyanna, preferred most of her time drowning in music and in mythical fantasy to her surprise, finding solitude in the worlds of fiction and storytelling,

Seemingly, the world seemed more beautiful through the lenses of the protagonist, as their heroic deeds were granted with luck and happiness.

The words written in the paper were simple, but yet so complex.

A hero and a prince
With legends of gold
A princess in vain
With stories untold.

That is exactly how far Illyanna got into writing her poem.

Much to her dismay, she couldn't think of anything else to write before her class tomorrow. Mrs. Hartford had expected her students to have written and finished a full page poem of their choice, and she was nowhere near a quarter of it done.

Sighing to herself, all Illyanna wanted to do in that moment was lay in bed and relax. If she had known that writing a poem would take so much of her time, she wouldn't have procrastinated and put it off until the last minute.

Even as she did promise herself she'd be anything, but a procrastinator, she was nowhere near an academic weapon.

Giving up, she got up from her desk and flung herself towards her bed, as she snuggled closer to the warm blankets that lay upon her, lost in thought as she gazed towards the night sky, an array of stars illuminating the horizon.

Illyanna had always loved staring up at the night sky. It brought a sense of peace and tranquility, as she had all the time in the world during the night, away from everything and from everyone. She didn't mind being alone, not at all.

Getting comfortable, Illyanna grabbed the manga that had been lying next to her nightstand and started to read.

As of lately, she had been a bit obsessed with reading webtoons, light novels, and even manga. Ever since her friend Claire introduced her to the world of graphics, she couldn't help but be engrossed in them. Even though she did prefer a regular book at times, she had actually found a manga that had caught her interest.

Almost finishing the whole series, the manga Demon Slayer, had given her so many mixed emotions, but to her misfortune, sadness.

It had nearly brought Illyanna to tears as she read more and more, up until the conclusion.

Reaching the ends of the pages, it seemed as though the main character Tanjiro, had finally gotten to live his life in peace, along with the rest of his friends and his fellow comrades.

As tears welled up in her eyes, Illyanna held the book to her chest as she thought 'Sacrifices were inevitable in their battle, but the lives that were lost were never forgotten.'

Throughout reading this entire series, she had felt as though she'd connected to so many of these characters, not necessarily wanting to go back to reality as she was captivated by the story beyond the pages. It was absolutely amazing to her.

Just as Illyanna was about to get up to continue her writing spree, a wave of sleepiness overcame her, as she felt her body go limp and her eyes fluttering shut. If she were to fall asleep now, there was no way she'd end up finishing her assignment.

Forcing herself to get up, she looked up at the clock, noticing that it was barely 1 in the morning.

With wide eyes, she hadn't realized how long she'd been staying up, dreading the moment she'd have to wake up at six in the morning.