[Book 2] Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

PHASE 19 - DAYS OF THE PAST FUTURES

PHASE 19 - DAYS OF THE PAST FUTURES

<<<>>>

Static. 

All I can see, hear touch, smell, and taste are static. My whole body aches. I feel like I’m being feasted by millions of ants, tearing my body cell by cell.

Feeling this familiar static, I know that I'm sleeping and dreaming with my <Presage> once again. This precognition ability of mine love to mess my mind at the worst time.

Suddenly, everything became dark. 

One.

Two.

Three seconds. 

Two eyes, both bloodshot red stare at me from a distance. I can hear a distant whisper as the glow-in-the-dark irises closed in.

I AM YOU, AND YOU ARE ME

Words were inserted directly into my brain. I feel an immense mass of prana gathering towards my body, making my veins glow with blue light.  My breathing became harder as the power I attained clogged my lungs. My heart beats faster. 

I AM…

“You are…” My mouth suddenly mutters.

ALARIC EISENHOWER.

“Aeternos…” 

The dark space shatters, delivering me to another dream.

<>

I saw hell.

I’m now in a vast desert flooded by blood and full of the mountain of corpses. At the center of the plain wide field are a group of buildings that are being bombarded upon by hundreds of Gate Guardians. Colorful projectiles flew above like fireworks on New Year's Eve.

It took me a while to realize that the place I’m seeing is the Nuclear Test Site Facility in Leng City. The tall building, the airstrip, and the abandoned amusement park nearby are the very same infrastructures I saw when we visited the Underground Laboratory.

At the very far side of the test site where there is no debris or obstacles, there is a large crater that could fit a whole city block. There is an otherworldly aura at the center of the crater but I can't make out of it. All I can see is a set of oversized flaming white wings that might be the cause of this singularity.

I was about to take a step, curious about this particular happening. I want to see more of it, but...

“Alaric…”

Somebody called my name.

When I turned around, I saw a familiar girl with white hair, innocent red eyes, and an expressionless face. I was sure that she’s Key, albeit her body looks like she’s a four-year-old kid. And she’s wearing a dirty rag cloth.

“K-Key?”

Wordlessly, the white-haired homunculus lent out her cute hand at me. I didn’t hesitate to take it. But when our fingertips touched, the fabric of reality shattered.

<>

I was transported to the second hell.

I find myself on top of a five-story building, enjoying the breeze of the night winds. 

I looked below, and I watched a small clocktower and a house burnt to crisps. There are a lot of craters on the highway, which is probably the aftermath of a bloody battle.