Prologue

Drip... Drip...

The steady drip-drip of water filled the air, like a persistent rhythm echoing through the area and in my head.

'Make it stop...'

A single thought lingered inside my mind, however, the raindrops persisted, falling onto my face and mingling with crimson blood that was seeping out of my eyes.

'Make it stop...'

An only desire clawed within me, an urgent need to flee from this torturous sound. Yet, my body refused to obey as if my legs were encased in a thick layer of ice.

Slowly... I felt as my life withered away.

Thud...

***

"Hahhhh, it was just a nightmare... just a nightmare..."

Exhaling sharply, the boy, no older than eighteen, roused from the clutches of the night's tormented dreams.

In the dim luminescence of his room, sweat adorned his brow, tracing a path down his face as he struggled to find his breath. His silver hair, unkempt, framed a face wrought with the expression of distress.

"Only a nightmare..."

He murmured, the same thing once again. 

With a weary hand, he reached for a box with white pills within, on the bedside table. Swiftly, he ingested one, accompanied by a gulp of water.

"This should do..."

Slowly calming his racing heart, the boy closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, trying to dispel the lingering tendrils of fear. Although he had this recurring nightmare for as long as he could remember, each time it felt just as vivid and terrifying as the first time.

Each time he closed his eyes, the same haunting images would replay in his mind.

It felt... so real, too real for comfort.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

Suddenly, a soft voice echoed through the room and a figure of a woman in her mid-30s appeared at the doorway. She quickly approached the boy's side, however, he didn't seem startled or surprised by her presence. He simply ignored her as if she wasn't there.

'Here we go again...'

Internally lamenting, the boy stood from his bed, unfazed by the woman's concern, proceeding with determined steps toward the bathroom.

"Note, what troubles you?"

Persisting, the woman shadowed his path, her gaze filled with apprehension, yet he continued as though she were naught but a specter, reaching the threshold of the bathroom.

"You are not real, just fucking disappear!"

Hitting the sink in frustration, the boy shouted seeing the reflection of the woman in the mirror. She was standing just behind him but her image was distorted, flickering like a glitch in reality.

He knew this wasn't real, this wasn't his mother, this was merely yet another hallucination his mind produced but everything would soon be fine.

She would fade into nothingness.

"N...o... Stop!"

Eventually, the woman's voice began to fade, becoming distorted and distant. The boy could feel a wave of relief wash over him as the hallucination started to fade away.

Although this has been happening for years, never had he become fully accustomed to seeing his dead relatives, strange monsters and other abominations come to meet him in his nightmares or hallucinations.

'She's finally gone.'

Lifting his eyes the boy stared into the mirror, only his own reflection staring back at him.

He didn't do it for too long though, fearing that his own reflection might start morphing into something else.

As he walked back into his room, though, he found yet another being lurking in the corner.

It was a shadowy figure, barely distinguishable in the dimly lit apartment.

'This is new...'

Looking at the figure, the boy raised his eyebrows. It was the first time he saw such a distinct and unsettling presence.

The figure also seemed to notice him, looking directly at him with glowing eyes.

However, the boy didn't fear the creature, he even began approaching it. He knew that these imaginary beings couldn't touch him hence he felt a sense of curiosity rather than fear.

"What are you?"

Looking at the being, he tilted his head.

Fortunately or not, the figure didn't respond, just silently staring back at the boy.

It also didn't take long for the boy to get bored and realize that this hallucination wasn't as exciting or engaging as he had hoped.

'I'll just try to sleep...'

Spinning around his heels with a sigh, he began approaching his bed, however, before he could even take a step a loud crash echoed through the room, causing the boy to freeze in his tracks.

He didn't even have a chance to turn around as he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and everything went black.

"H... ow?"

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was two glowing eyes staring down at him and a sinister smile slowly forming on the figure's face.

"You've fallen low... bright one."