Prelude 2 - Bright-Colored Words, Part 8

There was nothing at all.

No sound.

No feeling.

Complete isolation from the world, a world that was slowly fading away from sight, a world consumed by darkness.

Everything was engulfed in darkness, not a single distinctive object was in sight, everything looked and felt the same.

Nothing.

Dark and empty.

No sight or sound.

This was a fate worse than death.

「Where…?」

Zachary tried to speak his thoughts, but nothing would come out.

Where was the ocean? Where were the islands? Where were the mountains? Where was the sky? Where was the Old Pier?

Where was anything?

Where was that feeling of jubilation? Where was that world that was so close to being bright-colored? Where was it?

Where was Lauren?

Confused by his current predicament, he stood up. He had regained control of his body, and yet he didn't feel quite there like he was floating somehow. It felt as if he was in someone else's as if this was a mere dream.

If he was dead, then surely he wouldn't be greeted by this void. That was what he believed at least.

But no, this wasn't death.

It wasn't because he knew, and more so because he had a feeling. Even in that void, he was able to conjure a feeling. It was a feeling of unrest, but it was a feeling nonetheless.

Not set on leaving himself like this, he walked.

He walked for seconds, minutes, hours, or maybe days. Who knew?

There was no sense of time here. Just the purpose of moving.

Before he realized it, the void around him had shifted entirely to a small and narrow hallway in what seemed like a small apartment. Even with this change, he pressed onward to the end. This apartment was not strange to his eyes.

He remembered it.

<You must be out of your goddamn mind!>

A muffled masculine voice echoed throughout the hallway, yet it was still clear enough to be heard.

Zachary still walked, not showing any sign of stopping until he reached that door, the door at the end of the hallway, the source of the voices. Step after step, he moved in an unruly manner, having no real control over his legs, as if he was just a child learning how to walk, or a drunk who could barely tell his head from toe. Even the world around him began to levitate upwards as if he lost the height of his legs.

Yet he continued on like nothing was wrong, only following his curiosity.

<He's just fine in that school of his. He doesn't need this high-class luxurious lifestyle. Besides, Everille is far out of our reach and you know it very well. Plus, he doesn't seem to mind.>

<But he'll achieve nothing like this. It's his potential. The boy is gifted, and you know it. I can see it and I see how much it hurts him when you say no. You always reject him and he keeps quiet about it because you taught him so. But as his mother, I can't allow it. I know what my son wants, and I can't just let him rot in that school anymore. He's being wasted.>

Another voice emerged, this time a feminine one that seemed too weak and kind to be in such a situation. It seemed like the two were arguing against each other for someone that was not there at that time.

<What goals? Potential? Dreams, dreams, dreams! If he follows your 'advice' he'll end up on the streets and we'll have to drag him back!>

<If you would just let me help you…>

<I said no! Why won't you listen!? Am I not the man of the house? If I can't provide then who will? What you're asking of me is ridiculous. It's not a necessity.>

<But it's his dream…>

The argument went on.

The voices grew louder.

It wasn't stopping. With every word the man uttered, Zachary felt his heart ache, but he felt it, even more, when the woman tried to fight back despite her weakness.

All of this felt too familiar.

Before he knew it, he was already standing in front of the door with his hand at the knob — which was quite the length away from him, but he managed to stand on his toes and reach for it.

The voices stopped.

He gripped the knob tightly.

Should he open the door? He wondered.

It wasn't a matter of "should" more than it was a matter of "could." For all he knew, this was a bizarre world that could pull anything at any moment.

「No!」

He had already decided before. He was going to move forward without fail, even if it meant facing the unthinkable.

And so, he twisted the knob and pushed the door forward with all his might.

Everything felt noticeably heavier than before for some reason. There was no sound of the door creaking or any pressure coming from the room that closed.

There was only one thing present inside the room.

An unforgettable sight.

Looking from down to up, Zachary carefully watched the scene before him in horror.

The blood dripping from the feet, the legs floating in the air, the body that was too limp to be alive, and the neck that was tied to the noose.

Someone had hung themselves up.

Their face was devoid of life... yet it stared down at him with shock.

"GAH!!!"

Zachary screamed as he fell to the ground on his back.

He looked back at the dreadful sight of the corpse, his shaking hands and arms could not support him well to have a good look. He did not want to face that sight. He could hear the sound of his voice shaking as his breathing got heavier.

In all his rush and panic, he stood up and ran away...

...never to look back on that sight...

...locking it away from his mind.

He ran and ran in the endless void.

「Get me out of here!」

He did not care.

「Get me out of here!」

He just wanted to run away as quickly as possible.

「Get me out of here!」

There was nothing after all — at least, that was what he believed.

"Someone get me out of here!!!" Zachary shouted.

…

…

"Zach!"

A sound echoed in his right ear, a familiar feminine voice.

But where was he? How could he reach it?

Before he could answer this question, he felt the weight of something creeping under his armpits, before his body was slowly lifted up. It felt as if someone was pulling him away. An immense pressure broke down on him, yet his body effortlessly pushed against it.

He felt rather lethargic. The void was fading away from his sight.

That was when it clicked with him.

It was still not over.

「...yes...」

He was not alone this time.

He had her.

And so ended the nightmare of a memory.