My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of disbelief coursed through me. “W-What?” I stammered, struggling to comprehend the weight of her words.
“Six months?! How is that even possible?” I thought, my mind racing with confusion.
“But it hasn’t been long since I came here, Miss Angelica,” I said, trying to make sense of the situation.
“Time passes differently here, boy,” Seer replied calmly.
“Time passes differently here? That’s frustrating,” I muttered, feeling annoyed.
“Then what do I do now? I’m stuck here in a spiritual form, with nowhere to go and nothing to do,” I asked in a rush.
“Heh, boy, you could become a rapper with that speed,” Seer chuckled, attempting to lighten the tense atmosphere.
Angelica and I exchanged annoyed glances as she replied, “Uncle, now is not the time for jokes.”
“Oh, come on! I was just trying to ease the tension,” Seer pouted.
“By the way, Miss Angelica, do you know any way I can get out of here?” I asked, desperate for a solution.
“To be honest, I don’t know. I’m sorry,” Angelica said, deep in thought.
*SIGH
I sighed in frustration, facepalming myself in despair.
“Boy, don’t worry too much. Just as you came here suddenly, you might also leave just as suddenly,” Seer reassured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“Is that how it works?” I turned to Angelica, hoping for confirmation.
“It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible either,” she replied.
After a brief silence, Seer clapped suddenly, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“Now, now! Don’t overthink. How about we have dinner? I’ll cook,” Seer suggested.
I turned to Angelica and asked, “Do spirits need to eat?”
“Pff, I guess not,” Angelica chuckled.
“Well, I suppose I should head to my room then,” I said, preparing to leave.
But just as I was near the door, I heard a strange sound.
*THUMP
I turned around and asked Seer and Angelica, “Did you hear that strange sound?”
“What?” Angelica asked, looking at Seer.
He shrugged, indicating that he didn’t hear anything.
“I swear I heard something,” I said, feeling uneasy.
“Are you okay?” Angelica asked with concern.
“I guess,” I answered, examining my right hand, which was covered in bandages.
Suddenly, my hand glowed red, but it was so faint that I couldn’t make sense of it. It left me in a trance.
And then, I heard the sound again.
*THUMP
And again.
*THUMP
Even louder this time.
*THUMP!
“LOID!!!”
And then everything went black, and I lost consciousness.
****
————-
Time: ???
Location: ???
————–
*THUMP
*THUMP
I immediately got up from the cold, hard hospital bed, disoriented and bewildered. My senses struggled to adjust as I looked around the unfamiliar room. Tubes and wires were connected to various machines that emitted a soft hum, monitoring my vital signs.
The hospital room was dimly lit, with the soft glow of medical equipment casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The air felt heavy, filled with an eerie silence that seemed to stretch on forever.
Shadows danced on the walls, casting strange, flickering shapes that seemed to have a life of their own.
My eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness, revealing medical equipment humming softly in the background. The monitors beside my bed beeped rhythmically, their green lights casting an otherworldly glow on my motionless form. I was lying on the hospital bed, my body motionless, lost in a deep coma for six long months.
In this mysterious world of dreams and unconsciousness, time flowed like an unpredictable river, twisting and turning in inexplicable ways. I was neither fully awake nor entirely asleep, caught in a surreal realm between reality and the unknown.
“Huff… Huff… Ugh,” I muttered, trying to catch my breath.
The memories of the strange Miasmic realm and Miss Angelica and Seer’s words flooded back to me, leaving me in a daze.
“What… the huff… is happening?” I mumbled, my mind still foggy from the coma.
As I took in my surroundings, I noticed that the room was adorned with colorful drawings and a bouquet of fresh flowers sat on the bedside table, filling the air with a delicate fragrance. Which hinted that someone must have visited me when I was in coma
My eyes shifted to the window, and I saw a view of the city outside new buildings had sprouted, and the hustle and bustle of life carried on without me.
The sound of distant footsteps echoed through the hallway outside my room, but whenever I strained to listen closely, they faded into nothingness, leaving me with a sense of desolation.
*CREAK
The door opened and a nurse, seemingly surprised by my sudden awakening, rushed into the room.
“Oh, you’re awake!” she exclaimed with a mix of relief and excitement. “Let me call the doctor.”
Before I could utter a word, the nurse disappeared, leaving me alone with my bewildering thoughts. Memories of the Miasmic realm collided with the reality of my hospital room, making it hard to discern what was real and what was a dream.
My right hand, which had been injured before the coma, was now wrapped in fresh bandages, reminding me of the ordeal I had gone through.
A few minutes later, the doctor entered the room, wearing a white lab coat and carrying a clipboard.
“Goodness gracious, you gave us quite a scare,” he said, his eyes wide with surprise.
“What happened?” I managed to ask, my voice weak and raspy.
“You were in a severe accident. You’ve been in a coma for six months,” the doctor explained gently. “But it’s a miracle that you woke up.”
As the doctor continued to brief me on my condition, I felt a mix of emotions — relief, confusion, and a lingering sense of nostalgia for the world I had experienced during my coma. Was it all just a dream, or had I really encountered a Miasmic realm?
Visions and dreams seemed to overlap with my waking moments, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Faces of people I had never met flashed before my closed eyes, and whispered voices
After what felt like an eternity of being immersed in the bed
I finally mustered the strength to push myself up from the bed. My body felt heavy, as if it had traveled through the depths of time itself. With a determined resolve, I slowly opened the door and stepped out into the hospital hallway.
As I walked, a surreal sense of familiarity washed over me. The faces of people I had never met continued to flicker in my mind, their features dancing like ethereal apparitions. The whispered voices echoed in my ears, tantalizingly close yet frustratingly distant, leaving me with an unshakable sense of curiosity.
As I ventured deeper into the heart of Eldoria’s hospital, I saw a reflection of myself in a polished glass surface. The image that stared back at me bore the marks of my arduous journey within this mysterious realm.
Bandages covered half of my face, concealing the wounds and injuries I had sustained during my time in the physical world.
The right side of my face was veiled in white, a testament to the trials I had endured. My right hand, too, remained wrapped in bandages, a reminder of the challenges that had left their mark on my physical form.
But it was my left eye that held the most curious change. The once vibrant color seemed to have faded, as if it had been touched by the ethereal essence of nothingness itself.
The reflection seemed to be both myself and yet a stranger, a testament to the transformation that had occurred during my time in the coma. I felt a strange mix of emotions as I gazed upon this altered version of myself – a blend of awe, curiosity, and a slight unease at the unknown depths of Eldoria’s influence on my physical body.
As I continued to gaze onto my reflection, a sense of bewilderment washed over me. The image staring back at me was both familiar and alien, like a puzzle with missing pieces. I noticed not only the changes in my appearance but also the clothes I wore.
Instead of my usual attire, I was dressed in a patient’s gown
This revelation added to the peculiar blend of emotions stirring within me. Awe and curiosity intensified, for I realized that my very identity had been touched by the essence of this world.
Yet, an unease still lingered, as though this transformation blurred the lines between my past life and the new reality I had become a part of.
As I remained lost in this trance,
*SHATTER
an abrupt sound shattered the quiet around me.
The noise came from a nearby window, and the shards of glass scattered on the floor. My attention was pulled away from the reflection as I turned to investigate the source of the disturbance.
With a cautious step, I approached the broken window,
*CRUNCH
the glass crunching under my feet.
The cold breeze from outside mingled with the mystifying atmosphere of the hospital, heightening the sense of surrealism that engulfed me.
“Kyaa-”
Suddenly, the distant sound of a girl’s terrified scream pierced through the air. My heart quickened as I tried to determine its origin. The scream echoed through the corridors, distant yet unmistakable. With each passing moment, it seemed to grow more desperate, as if someone was in grave danger.
Driven by a surge of concern, I followed the sound, my senses now acutely tuned to the enigmatic world around me. Some kind of influence seemed to amplify my instincts, guiding me towards the source of the girl’s distress.
As I navigated the labyrinthine hallways, the sense of urgency intensified. The symbols on the walls seemed to whisper cryptic messages, as though the very architecture of the hospital held hidden truths waiting to be unraveled.
With each turn I took, the screams grew louder, resonating deep within me. I could feel the profound connection between Eldoria and myself, as if my presence here was not merely coincidental but an integral part of an intricate design.
Finally, I arrived at a secluded chamber, its door slightly ajar. The echoes of the girl’s cries led me inside, where I was greeted by a heart-wrenching sight. There, within the confines of the room, stood a spectral figure – a young girl with eyes filled with fear and desperation.
“Please, help me,” she implored, her voice trembling with emotion.
