Liminal

Prologue

A shadow descended from the sky, smothering everyone in its dark embrace. Every living being in sight looked like the air around them was weighing them down. Melody was certainly no exception to this, though she tried getting up from the ground, it felt like an enormous sea serpent was pushing her down.

Her head turned to the right, where she could see flickering lights being snuffed out one by one. From a distance, perhaps you could call it poetic how this once-lit-up world was finally succumbing to its natural enemy, darkness. Melody might've even agreed with you once upon a time, but not now.

She vowed to someone that she'd come back alive, and she certainly doesn't break her promises. An outstretched hand caught her attention as a shaky figure in front of her was helping the people getting crushed by the dark. A girl with faint brown hair grabbed onto the hand but almost immediately fell after getting up.

Though she couldn't see the details, the girl's frantic movements hinted at the desperation of those around her, a silent plea for help that resonated deep within Melody. However, she barely had any strength left to keep her eyes open, much less try to understand someone's expression from so far away.

Or were they far away? She could no longer tell the distance of things from herself anymore. Everything, everyone, just seemed so far away from her. Her mind felt as murky as her surroundings, or perhaps her environment was affected by her unstable state of mind. Suddenly, the figure, who seemed incredibly far at first, came closer.

Melody felt uneasy as it stepped towards her and tried to shuffle away slowly. Strangely, her body didn't move according to her wishes. The darkness in her head lightened its hold on her every time the thing came closer, but although she could focus better now, it also meant having to acknowledge the wounds that she had earlier on.

Tears streamed down her face as she focused clearly on her leg and had to force her head away, even if she could barely move. She wanted to vomit at the sight of her injury, but as her ears finally picked up on faint noise and it was the thing getting closer to her, she willed her body to move no matter how much it hurt.

Just as she turned away and got ready to crawl, though, a sudden touch on her shoulder made her cry out in shock and pain at how cold it was, contrasting it to the warmth this world normally has. Had. A tug backward as she was pulled by her shoulder across the barren landscape caused her to let out a gruesome scream for help, tearing through the silent air; her feet, despite the injury, tried to stay put on where she used to be lying.

A quick jab to her neck by the burning cold hand caused her to stiffen and cough out a cry. Her vision darkened the further they went from her original spot as the adrenaline finally wore off. She succumbed to the rest her body so desperately needed and let herself be whisked away by sleep.