KrrispyKreme

[!] The sickness struck the young elfess like a thief in the night, leaving her within a world of darkness she was unable to escape from. It came in waves, from sleepless nights to waking dreams of blurred shapes and muffled sounds. Part of her wondered if her waning condition was only her imagination, as the young woman's mind was one that played a great many tricks, but the severity of her situation became realized soon enough. She awoke with a blanket over her gaze, unable to discern her surroundings aside from the idle sounds of her home. Her heartbeat hastened in a sudden panic, along with breaths that shortened yet increased in irregularities. Questions began to form within her mind, compounding on one another to further her sense of paranoia. How could she read? How could she continue to paint? The majority of her life's work surrounded these subjects, and they were suddenly nullified as if they were simply never meant to be. Barred from doing what she truly did best, the woman was left within the silence of her own home, except for the ringing of thoughts between her ears. These thoughts provoked her inner fears, rekindling the worries of failure and the regrets of her past. Was this affliction a punishment for previous sins? It was all so unclear, yet the reality of her situation dawned upon her. She was left helpless and alone, and no one was coming to save her. The philosophical wall that she so feared stood before her with no true way around it, and her will to attempt to push through it quickly waned to nothingness. There was no other option but to accept her fate, and so she did for many days. Darkness swam around her and became her new home, and for a time she learned to live and maintain a sliver of what her life once was. Her heart longed for the thrill of writing song, or the accomplishment of completing a work of art. The life she now lead was without much social interaction even, and her longing extended to the attention of other souls. Nights were spent in fits of terror and loneliness never felt before, but to her rescue came the birds chirping their morning songs just outside her window. She couldn't see them, but she knew with confidence that they were there. They were always there to wake her, and that realization added enough fuel to her will to push forward. Perhaps her life would be without joy or laughter, but she wanted to live all the same. Life always gave second chances, and to her no cost was too great.

One fateful night the woman fell to her knees, unable to move on without achieving some sort of further closure. There were no gods nor goddesses for her to pray unto, but surely someone would hear her plea? Tears filled her glazed visage as she begged for a form of mercy. A second chance for her to continue her quest for knowledge, and sate her hunger for the arts. She was met with no answers to her calls, which only seemed to increase her desperation further. A path forward was needed, and there must be away for her to navigate the darkness. "There must..." she murmured just before drifting away into another realm of darkness, one familiar to her yet uncharted all the same. The air felt heavy around her, and it became difficult to breathe. No- impossible to breathe! She clutched at her neck, attempting to scream but nothing came from within. Shadows danced around her and seemed to laugh as she struggled for air, and just as she thought she would truly perish, the air returned to her lungs and the scene around her morphed into another. Now she was back within her home, exactly where she stood moments before, and all seemed normal. Birds chirped outside to signify morning just as she remembered, and this time she ventured to outside to greet them. Her movements were oddly sluggish as if moving through water, and the motion of pushing upon her front door placed a sudden weight upon her chest. A cool damp breeze washed over her, and past the creaking door was an elongated hall lacking light. Within the corners of her eyes she could see roaches skittering about upon the ground, yet if she ever attempted to follow them they would simply vanish. Steps were taken forth into the hall much to her terror, yet she was unable to stop herself. Every inch of her body ached as she tried to fight the fateful march, but there was nothing saving her now. One step at a time did she wander until the hall swallowed her whole, and left her cold, alone, and afraid akin to how she was before. However, in this space there was a creeping feeling surrounding her. Incoherent whispers over her shoulders, or movements at the edges of her vision that could never be traced. These accumulated and left her spinning, until a figure came before her that ceased it all.

It stood before her only a few paces away, barely able to be seen within the low light aside from its face. A pale ovular head encompassed by blackened hair, with eyes that never seemed to move away from her gaze. Its lips were curled into a wry smile, and in this moment of the woman's terror it simply stared ahead at her. She soon realized that its resemblance to her own physique was uncanny, down to every detail aside from its darkened eyes and blackened lips. This short moment was abruptly ended once the figure lurched forth to thrust its cursed face merely an inch from her own, releasing a bloodcurdling scream that nearly deafened the woman instantly. Yet again she was unable to cry out in fear, only capable of doubling back and turning to run away. There she was met with yet another form of the same figure, crackling and contorting until more of its body came into view. Tendrils peeled away from its very body to latch upon the walls of the halls it resided, and hundreds of gaping yellow eyes lined its flesh to stare into the very soul of the frightful woman. A voice rang out that seemed to come from all directions, but she was sure of what was speaking. "What is past is prologue." Its form surges and writhes upon her, and the sequence abruptly ends.

Awaking within a cold sweat, Ranni sits up to gasp for air. It was morning, truly this time, but she would never be sure of this again. The birds sung and the warmth of the sun met her skin, but the terrors she faced within her own mind kept her wary of the truth. This anxiety would forever blur the line between life and a dream, and the words rung within her mind to no end during the days that followed. Perhaps the new path ahead of her would lead her to places she wished to go, or perhaps her cry in desperation would leave her more alone than before. Regardless, her life was changed forever...