The king of everything

Chapter nine- Shadows in the dorm room

It started with the shadows.

At first, I thought I was just tired. Late-night study sessions, sleepless nights thinking about Hope, and the usual pressures of university life were catching up to me. I'd see something out of the corner of my eye—a flicker of darkness that wasn't there when I turned to look. It was subtle at first, like my mind was playing tricks on me, but as the days passed, it became harder to ignore.

One night, after another long study session with Sam, I was lying in bed, the room dark and quiet except for the faint hum of the dorm's heating system. I was staring at the ceiling, my thoughts drifting between my classes and Hope, when I felt it—a strange sensation, like something was watching me. My skin prickled with an unfamiliar unease.

I sat up in bed, scanning the room. Everything looked normal. Sam was fast asleep in the bed across from mine, his breathing steady. The moonlight filtered through the blinds, casting soft, silver shadows on the walls. But there was something off. The air felt heavier, like it was thick with something unseen.

I shook my head, trying to brush it off as paranoia, but the feeling wouldn't leave. I lay back down, pulling the covers up to my chest and squeezing my eyes shut, trying to force myself to sleep.

That's when I heard it—a low, guttural whisper.

It was faint, almost like it was coming from a distance, but it sent a chill down my spine. My eyes flew open, and I sat up again, heart racing. The room was still empty, but the shadows seemed darker now, more oppressive.

I got out of bed, tiptoeing to the door and peeking into the hallway. Empty. The entire dorm was silent. I rubbed my face, trying to shake the unease, and decided to get a drink of water from the bathroom down the hall.

As I walked back into the room, I froze.

There, standing in the corner by my bed, was a figure—a tall, looming shadow, darker than anything I had ever seen. Its form was almost human, but twisted, like it didn't belong in this world. Its eyes glowed faintly, an eerie crimson light that pierced through the darkness, locking onto me.

I couldn't move. My throat tightened, and my heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst from my chest.

The shadow didn't move, but its presence filled the room with an overwhelming sense of dread. I felt like I was suffocating, like the very air around me was thick with something evil.

Then, it spoke.

Its voice was low, distorted, and filled with a deep bitterness that sent shivers through my entire body.

"I was once like you," it said, its words seeping into the room like poison. "Once loved. Once chosen."

I stumbled back, my legs barely holding me up. My voice caught in my throat. I wanted to scream, to run, but I was frozen in place.

The shadow took a step closer, the red glow of its eyes growing brighter. "But He rejected me. Cast me out. I was forsaken, left to wander in darkness."

It moved closer, and I could feel the temperature drop, the room growing colder with every word it spoke. "Now I come to you. I see the cracks in your soul. The doubts. The fear. You are like me, a vessel waiting to be filled."

I couldn't take it anymore. My legs gave out, and I fell to the floor, gasping for breath. "What... what are you?" I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

The figure crouched down, its twisted form looming over me, the red of its eyes burning brighter. "I was once an angel," it hissed. "But no longer. I am what remains when God turns away. And now, I am here for you."

I scrambled backward, my back hitting the wall. My mind was spinning, unable to process what was happening. This couldn't be real. It had to be a nightmare. But the cold I felt, the suffocating dread in the air—it was all too real.

"Why me?" I asked, my voice trembling.

The demon—because there was no other word for what this thing was—smiled, revealing rows of sharp, gleaming teeth. "You have already begun to fall, haven't you? Your thoughts consumed by her, your soul tangled in doubt. It is only a matter of time before you are mine."

I shook my head, fear coursing through me. "No. That's not true."

The demon laughed, a sound so cold and hollow it made my blood run cold. "You think you can fight it? You think your soul is still whole? Foolish boy. I have seen souls far stronger than yours crumble beneath the weight of their own desires."

Its voice grew softer, almost seductive. "But I can help you. I can offer you power. Knowledge. Freedom from the burden of your doubts. All you have to do is let me in."

I pressed my hands to my ears, trying to block out the voice, but it was inside my head now, whispering, coaxing, tempting me. The room seemed to spin around me, the walls closing in as the demon's presence became overwhelming.

Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the demon stepped back into the shadows, its form dissolving into the darkness. The red glow of its eyes lingered for a moment, and then it was gone, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence.

I sat there, trembling on the floor, my heart still racing. What had just happened? Had I imagined it? Was I losing my mind?

The next morning, I woke up in a cold sweat, the memory of the demon's voice still fresh in my mind. Sam was already up, getting ready for class, but I could barely bring myself to move. My body felt heavy, my mind clouded with fear and confusion.

"Hey, you good?" Sam asked, glancing over at me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I forced a smile, but it felt hollow. "Yeah, just didn't sleep well. Must've been a bad dream."

Sam frowned but didn't press the issue. "Alright, well, let me know if you need anything. You've been looking kind of off lately."

I nodded, but as Sam left the room, the weight of what I'd seen pressed down on me. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell anyone. They'd think I was crazy. Maybe I was.

For the next few days, I went through the motions, attending classes, studying, and hanging out with Hope, but everything felt... off. I couldn't shake the feeling that the demon was still there, watching me, lurking in the shadows of the dorm. My mind was constantly on edge, my thoughts consumed by the memory of its twisted form and the terrifying promise it had made.

I didn't know how long I could keep it together. The fear was eating away at me, and no matter how hard I tried to push it aside, the demon's words echoed in my mind.

I was falling.

And I didn't know if I could stop.