The Weight of His Chains

Chapter 2

But then, I catch a glimpse of something in the corner of my eye - a figure, sitting beyond the reach of the orb's light. My heart races as I spin around, my eyes scanning the darkness. And then, I see it. A corpse, rotting and decrepit, its black skin hanging off its bones like a tattered cloth. The orbs light illuminates the morbid scene, making the empty eye sockets filled with slight light. I can see the shackles binding its wrists, waist, ankles, and neck, rusted and old. The teeth are crooked and yellow, the hair dry and brittle. It's a gruesome sight, one that makes my heart drop. This corpse is a sign that the Pyramid is close, shackles signaling the torture that exists within.

I gulp down the fear, but suddenly, the orb blinks once or twice, and then dies, plunging me into complete darkness. A darkness so thick I could taste it. I'm frozen in terror, my heart racing like an animal. I clap my hand over my mouth, holding in a scream that could tear my throat.

Suddenly, a low, mournful howl echoes through the landscape I cannot see, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It's a sound that sends shivers down my spine, and weighs my heart with sadness. This howl isn't a warning, it seems as if it's a lost howl, a lonely cry for help.

I'm paralyzed in fear, unable to move or speak, as I am blind in darkness, hearing the lonely cry. And then, a figure appears in the distance, walking towards me with an otherworldly grace. It's insanely bright, illuminating the path with a yellow light so intense it's as if looking at the sun. The figure is a humanoid, the build of a young man. Behind it are massive wings, three pairs, tucked behind it. I'm unable to look away as it stares at me with its yellow slit eyes, with a gentle yet unblinking stare.

Am I dead?

It suddenly opens its huge pairs over pairs of wings, stretching longer than the path itself, it flies towards me with speed, the wind from its passage whipping my hair around. I'm still frozen as the spirit flies through my very body, like a ghost, howling with a deep sadness. And then, something warm and wet splatters my face and clothes as the spirit flew in me, vanishing into the inky darkness. It, or he, left me standing there, frozen in fear.

Suddenly, my orb flickers back to life, the yellow glow shedding light on the path again. My mind still struggles to process what happened, my lips tasting the strange substance the spirit splattered on me. I lift my finger to wipe my cheek, and bright red blood smothers my fingers. "It's bleeding," I whisper to myself. That spirit is bleeding.

I take a step forward, my movements mechanical, as my mind is still wrapping around the paranormal encounter. I know for a fact that spirit is not normal. Spirits don't have red blood. It's someone. I know it. I shake off my thoughts, squaring my shoulders and setting my goals. I'm looking for Sky, and freeing him from this Pyramid. I could worry about that spirit later. But he's still lurking in my mind.

Every step I take in this place I feel a physical weight bear down on me, slowly suffocating me. I feel as if I'm being pulled deeper into a nightmare that I cannot awaken from. My eyes are darting around, searching for danger lurking in the darkness. My palms are sweaty and shaky as I hold the bright orb, shedding some light on my path.

Suddenly, I step on something that cracks beneath my weight. I jump, my heart racing, my breath catching in my throat. I spin around, expecting to see that spirit again, but there is nothing. Just a bone, cracked and broken, lying on the ground. I let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. My mind starts racing, wondering what kind of creature it belonged to, and how it died here.

The wind howls slightly through the rocks, adding more depth to the eeriness. I try not to think about the fact that I'm alone in an unknown and possibly cursed territory.