Chapter 1

East.

That’s the direction my body is heading in.

North.

That’s where the hazy, unknown entity lies as I stray away from it.

The trek into the town feels long, tiring, and exerting as I mindlessly wander into it with no direction in mind except east.

All I remember doing before is emerging from the cool ocean water as I took in my first breath of oxygen. My eyes stung as they adjusted to the alienated planet that I mysteriously woke up in. I felt familiar with my surroundings at first until my mind switched to autopilot when I stared up at the sky, thinking of the memories I lack to have in my mind; What was my name? Why was I here?

Each step I take is guiding me into this strange world I didn’t recognize. The people, the objects, the sounds, the smells ― they’re all so foreign to me but I understand their unfamiliarity. I understand why they’re here and why my senses aren’t bothered. But my mind didn’t decipher this exotic understanding. It’s still too confusing to me.

“Goodmorning, miss.”

The voice startles me out of my thoughts. I stop walking and warily turn to face a shorter male in his late thirties, maybe early forties, with a small smile on his lips as he holds a leash in his hand that is connected to a small labrador that’s tame next to him. It sits quietly as it observes the people walking past, not paying me any mind.

“Are you not able to speak?” He asks.

I haven’t spoken since I walked on this land so I didn’t know if I could talk; let alone be fluent in it.

How does my voice sound?

“I―” My voice cracks as I try to speak. I clear my throat and try to talk again. “―I can talk.”

“Ah, lovely. So what are you doing strolling through these parts at this time of the early morning?”

“I―I don’t know honestly. I don’t have a certain destination to go to.” I admit. My honey-brown skin is shined down on by the hot sun rays, making me feel a bit uncomfortable standing directly under it like this, despite the white tent dress that I’m wearing.

“Where are you coming from?”

“North.”

“Do you have a home? The storm that previously flooded the north is headed this way in a few days. You shouldn’t wonder about in that kind of storm. You’ll catch a bad fever.”

“I’m… homeless.”

He sighs. “Tell you what.” He points in the direction where a grove of trees where. “There’s an abandoned castle that way. You should shelter inside of it for now. But I warn you, people say that it doesn’t like intruders. Some claim it’s haunted.”

“Haunted?”

“Yes, ma’am, so try not to provoke the dead if the rumors are true.”

“I’ll try not to. Thank you.” I flash him a gentle smile before turning away from him to walk in the direction of the woods. I take a couple of steps forward before I halt in my tracks suddenly. “Wait, are you sure I can―” I turn around to see no man standing there. The dog is gone too. Strange. “―Nevermind.”

I walk to the woods at a leisurely pace while being wary of my exhaustion. I used almost all of my stamina when I strolled onto this land. I might collapse any second. I need to find a spot to sleep for now.

As I plod deeper into the woods, night fell and made my view of my surroundings denser to see through. I try to peer through the fog that gradually suffuses the woods as I trek further into the unknown.

My mind is consumed with nothing but this overwhelming thing called bitterness from the haziness that engulfs me. My curiosity continues to seep through my mind as I cross the line that was meant to hold me back. The stinging in my muscles try to slow me down but I can’t. There has to be a reason I’m alive. A truly valid reason.

I eventually ― after trudging for a few more minutes ― slump against a tree and sit on the grass as I try to even my breathing.

“Where―” I breathe. My eyes avert up to try to peer through the trees but to no avail, the moon is hidden behind the leaves. Letting in little to no light through to assist my journey. “―where am I? Where do I go from here?” I muttered, resting the back of my head against the tree. My gaze bore into the impenetrable darkness around me, trying to catch a glimpse of anyone passing by to help me escape this desolate void.

“Should I sleep?” I question. I feel my body sag in exhaustion confirming my exertion as I sigh in defeat. “Guess so.”

My eyes flutter close. The world around me slowly went silent as my dream took over ― the kind of dream where it thrillingly resembles reality.

The pitch-black ambiance sends chills up my spine as I see nothing except this eerie darkness. It is cold, freezing cold ― the feel of frostbite aches all over my body as the sound of blood-curling screams fills my ears from all directions. The ear-splitting screams freeze my body into a catatonic state as my eyes are transfixed on the entity stalking in the dense shadows around me. The figure gradually reveal itself with its form contorted in a horrifically way ― ribs piercing through its delicate skin, its head slumping on its shoulder, while its mouth was gaping open. The screams are emitted by it… lacerating my mind as it inches forward, causing my still heart to pulsate in horror. My grievous heartbeat reminds me that fear is one of the main emotions I’ve experienced over and over again in an agonizing loop.

“Have you died before?” The entity asks me in a low, guttural, strained voice that is menacing and intimidating. I can’t ignore the way it rakes my horror unpleasantly, sending my mind into overdrive as I attempt to retreat away from it to save my skin. It looks threatening, extremely lethal ― almost as if one physical touch will dissipate someone into grains of ashes.

A cough escapes my searing throat before I toil to reply in a hoarse voice that seemingly didn’t belong to me but my initiation tells me it did. It is painfully mine. “I don’t know… I might’ve died but I feel alive right now.”

“Alive?” The entity laughs reprehensibly as its eyes gleam with immoral intention. My blood runs cold. It feels like pin and needles are diffuse all over my body as my gaze is permeated with fire by the entity ― as if it is embedded with a painful sensation to torture me but at the same time… to engrave the agony in my mind to shred each and every thread of hope that I am desperately holding on to escape its clutches. “I beg to differ.”

“Then why did you ask me that kind of question?” I ask.

“To see what kind of answer you would provide me of course.”

“What answer were you expecting?”

“The true answer. The one that explained your existence in this world of war and discrimination.”

“I don’t think there is a true answer. Just guesses. No one truly knows what their existence means.”

“Incorrect.” The entity’s boney mouth stretches up in a creepy grin, and sounds of bones cracking can be heard from each pull it did to expose its teeth ― teeth that are ruined and yellowed. But they are in the perfect condition to eat flesh. My flesh. “There is an answer and I’ll kill you before you have the chance to figure out what that answer is.”

“No, you’re wrong―”

“On the contrary, I am not wrong. You are. If only you didn’t do what you did then maybe… just maybe…” It emits another out-of-tune laugh. “You would know the answer.”

“What did I do?”

“You shouldn’t worry about what you did. You should worry about what you didn’t do.”

“What didn’t I do?”

“You didn’t die. You should’ve died but you didn’t. Now you’re here… parading your parasitic form around when you deserve to die. You truly do deserve to die, Miss. And that’s the nicest way I’ll ever say it to you.”

“You’re not answering my question―”

“I did answer your pathetic question. I said you didn’t die. As in you didn’t leave this world to be in another that is filled with nullity. This false world you stilled selfishly will be your demise. Your hell place. You should die in it. Forever. With no way out ― and I’ll send you there myself. Right now.”

“Wait!” I blurt out as my throat begins to be enveloped with unbearable heat. Scoring it in excruciating lancing. This is the entity’s doing. It is killing from the inside out. It wants me to die slow and painfully. It wasn’t bluffing when it said it wanted me dead.

“What?” It growls frustratedly.

“Can I... have a chance to prove I can be spared?”

“Spared? Why should I spare you?”

“Is there anything I can trade my life with?” I choke out. The fire is spreading all over as it continues to torment me while a beset aura exudes from it.

“Trade?” It echoes before roaring in laughter that sounds like it’s in disbelief. The laughter fades to a soft chuckle that’s breathy before it replies with; “Well… there is… one thing that I want. Though, I wouldn’t advise doing it.”

“What? Tell me. I’ll do it.” I didn’t have any other choice. I might die if I didn’t accomplish the entity’s wishes.

“I want the demon’s soul. The one that went on a coup d’etat centuries ago. I want you to find it, kill it, and leave it underneath the moonlight’s rays to bask in it.”

“Didn’t the demon die after the holocaust?”

“Rumors say that it didn’t die. It lived, unfortunately.”

“Where can I find it?”

“It’s somewhere. I can’t tell you where for certain. Just know it’s on the planet.”

“How long do I have?”

“Until it happens.”

“Until what happens?”

“You’ll know when the time comes.” It leisurely backs away from me. “Till then, miss. You are on your own. Farewell.”

“Wait―” I gasp as I jolt awake. My hand flew to my throat defensively as I pant, trying to even my breathing. The moment I got a grasp of reality I scan my surroundings and realize that I am still in the woods, among the grove of trees. “I… I’m alive?”