Buildings crumbled one after another, and screams resounded through the air, filling the area with a solemn sense of dread and terror.
From above, the ancient structure cracked and crumbled, raining debris upon the hundred of humans running to their salvation.
Up in the sky, the world was drowned in a veil of darkness and shadows. Blood —crimson blood, filled every corner of the vast structure, as though a morbid massacre had just taken place.
I knew that I was dreaming.
It was the same recurring nightmare for as long as I could remember. Even if it seemed to have requirements to appear.
Raising my head up, I caught a glimpse of the familiar silhouette.
With cold pair of eyes, and long falling dark hair that cascaded down their shoulders, the figure exuded a sense of grim resignation.
"Go! Now!"
Came the sharp, commanding voice.
The words came from a young lady who seemed to be in her teens, and had a pair of crimson eyes. Adorned in the bloodied armor, she was a stunning beauty. If only this beauty's eyes radiated a deep sense of coldness.
Right about then, the dark-haired boy gritted his teeth. Gripping the dagger in his hands tighter, he scowled and thrusted forth.
The sound of flesh being punctured rolled through the crumbling ancient structure.
The crimson-haired lady glanced back at him, despair and disbelief evident in her pupils.
"Why?"
Tears streamed down her eyes as she fell to her knees, blood flowing down the gaping wound.
He had struck ruthlessly, piercing right through her heart in an instant.
The cold sense of ruthlessness that he portrayed, no matter how many times I saw it, always left me with a deep sense of unease.
And what made it even worse was the fact that his eyes, the gateway to the soul, proved that he believed it was all for the greater good. I-It felt as though the young boy was burdened with a weight too heavy to bear.
His cold expression slowly came apart. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"I'm sorry. There's no other way."
The crimson-haired lady seemed to understand the meaning behind his words. But even that did nothing to lessen the sense of betrayal and anguish that she felt.
It was painful and... heart-wrenching.
It was also then that the boy turned his back against her. As he walked away, he knew he had to do this. There was no other choice. Yet, why did his heart ache?
Step. Step.
W-why was it so painful?
With each step he took, his figured blurred, and so did the tears that fell down his eyes. Her presence faded into the distance.
A bright red liquid pooled around her as she raised her hands, trying to hold on to his fading silhouette.
With each step he took closer to the swirling mass of darkness, the more the pain in his chest intensified. Stepping through the portal, he felt a deep sense of sorrow rise within him. Along with numerous complex emotions.
In the world of desolation and ruin, she laid there, betrayed and broken. Until eventually, darkness consumed her whole.
In that moment, I knew the nightmare was over. Though I doubted the same could be said to the one I would be waking to.
***
Opening his eyes once again, Dean felt as though he'd been submerged into an endless darkness.
Darkness stretched infinitely in all directions, swallowing everything in sight. The world around him was a blur, muted and suffocating.
The darkness eventually receded, as though it had only been an illusion.
Dean's eyes opened to a vast, unending landscape. Far into the distance, he saw a variety of crumbled buildings, and ruined structures, spreading and stretching like thread of vines, specks of dust clinging to the sandy terrain beneath them.
'Where's this?' Panic surged through his veins. After all, no regression of his had ever brought him here.
Yet somehow—
"...."
This place felt strangely familiar— Like he'd seen it somewhere.
'Weird.' He tilted his head, confusion marring his features.
However, just as he struggled to understand his current situation.
Crack—!
He heard it.
Thud! Thud!
The sound of feet thundering against the ground.
For a second there, he froze, heart hammering.
Turning back, he caught sight of a figure wreathed in darkness. Their eyes were a deep hollow blue, while their horns crackled with a bizarre dark energy. They had small, pointed scales creeping out of their body, adding to the fearsome aura they radiated.
"Djinn?"
Dean frowned at the sight of the dark creature.
He had no idea about how he knew of the creature's name, though he wasn't too surprised either. Somehow, ever since his first regression, he realized that he knew more than most people.
Of course, that should and would've been a great thing, if only his memories weren't lost in fragments.
To put it in simpler terms, while he might have a deep knowledge of the Djinn, he could also be lost in certain aspects. And in most cases, these aspects were things that could pretty much save him from endless regressions.
"Grawwl!"
The loud growl that escaped the djinn's lips— rattling his skull and dulling his senses, brought him back to the grim harshness of his current situation.
'Curses!'
Cursing under his breath, he turned back and without a second thought, immediately took to his heels. He needed no one to tell him the deep sense of hatred dark creatures held towards humans.
Step. Step.
He ran with everything he had. His muscles strained with each step he took, yet he kept going. He kept running.
Over countless regressions, he never became great at many things, but he certainly grew into a master when it came to the art of taking to his heels.
Creak. Creak.
The Djinn was getting closer now, its jagged maws coming into view, tentacles writhing hungrily within.
The sight sent a jolt of fear through Dean, but he forced it down, using it as a force to propel himself forward. The fear spurred him on, pushing him to run even faster. And...
"Hah... Hah..."
He could hear it now.
The Djinn's breath. It seemed so close —too close— almost as if it were right behind him.
The Djinn's steps echoed louder. Each step resounded in Dean's ears, intensifying the hammering of his heart.
In that moment, overwhelmed by dread and a deep sense of unease, he glimpsed back and... caught sight of something. Something that sent uncontrollably dread through him.
"....!!"
Far in the distance, a tenebrous dark mist was slowly rising, clouding everything in sight, and drowning the world in shadows. It moved at an astonishing speed, yet that wasn't the dreadful part.
The dreadful part?
Everywhere it passed by, be it buildings, constructs, structures or dark aberrations— All were erased. Almost as if they'd never existed in the first place.
"W-ha—!"
Dean's eyes widened at the chilling sight, fear swiftly rising within him. His expression darkened.
And the worst part?
The dark mist was rapidly closing in on him.
Step! Step!
He needn't be told to run even faster, pushing his legs far beyond their limits.
On the bright side of things, however, he now knew the Djinn wasn't trying to kill him and was only running for its life. And on the not so bright side, he was also now running for his life.
Gritting his teeth, he kept on running. Eventually, he arrived at the peripherals of the crumbled buildings and constructs he'd seen earlier, but even then, he kept running.
Somehow, he knew he was looking for something. Something that could save him from the clutches of this bizarre entity.
So, he ran and ran. And eventually, when he stopped, panting heavily, chest heaving, he saw it.
"...."
A crumbled building with various weird sigils.
A Dune Structure.
A building or construct that protects one from the Dark Mist, much like the safe zones from the endless darkness.
Without any hesitation, Dean exhaled shakily and bolted for the door.
At that moment, the Djinn was also now right beside him. However, instead of fighting, they both ran without a care for each other. After all, their lives was currently being threatened by a more bizarre force of nature.
...However, just as Dean neared the door.
BOOM!!
A blinding punch shot for his face. His breath hitched, and for a second there, he stood frozen, unable to react.
But, having expected such a change based on the knowledge he had on dark creatures, he rolled across the ground just in time to avoid being squashed to death. In the course of doing so, his momentum slowed down and—
"....!!"
He was certain about it, the Dark Mist would catch up to him.
In that moment, a chilling coldness rose within his cold pair of eyes, anger bubbling up within him. Skidding to a stop, he glanced at the running Djinn and gnashed his teeth together.
'Bastard.'
Clenching his fist, he glanced around him just as anger bubbled up within him. It was then that he caught sight of it.
Rolling across the ground, he grabbed onto the sharp, spear-like structure, and hurled it forward with every ounce of strength he'd left within him.
Whoosh—!
The spear pierced through the air at a rapid pace, striking right through the running Djinn's weak spot— its forehead with frightening accuracy.
The Djinn suddenly came to a stop. For a couple of seconds, it stood still as blood ran down the gaping hole in its forehead. Eventually, it swayed and slumped onto the ground with a loud crashing thud.
However, the crashing sound did nothing to quench the plethora of emotions rising within Dean.
Because in that moment that he rose to his feet, heart hammering.
He felt it.
'Crap!'
A cold, unnatural wind rose behind me.
His eyes widened. And before he could do so much as to take a single step forward, the dark mist was already upon him.
It surged forward, consuming everything in its path.
And before he knew it— It swallowed him whole.