ARCEUS PENDRAGON.

Darkness, complete darkness. This had been my world for... how long? I couldn't remember anymore.

I was floating, floating in an absolutely reflectionless black. I didn't know if I was floating or suspended in place.

All I knew was that there was nothing else: no sound, no taste, no smell, no touch in this sea of perpetual darkness.

At first, everything was peaceful.

I felt that I was nothing and everything at the same time, I felt like a small particle in a vast universe, but I also felt that nothing else existed besides myself.

As time passed, I remembered more of what I was, a human with hands, feet, and a body.

However, I couldn't feel anything. I tried to curl my fingers and toes, tried to widen my nostrils and open my mouth. I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't even feel that I was breathing.

Fear quickly took over me, without presenting the physiological signs I was used to. No heartbeats, no acceleration of my breathing, no trembling of my body.

Damn, I wished I could feel it, anything that would verify that something else existed besides my consciousness. But I remained trapped here while time passed without a way to keep count.

I tried everything to stay sane. I screamed, but no sound came out. I tried to bite my tongue but felt no sensation.

I simply existed. And I grew more furious with each subjective second that passed.

Madness effervesced, spreading and covering every corner of my consciousness. However, the hallucinations I expected, desired, and longed for never came.

None of the symptoms of madness could materialize in a world with literally nothing else and with a body that I wasn't even sure I had, much less could feel.

Soon, I grew bored of the incessant fear, anxiety, dread, and paranoia that took over my guts... if I had guts.

The memories that seemed to be on the tip of my hypothetical tongue were never within my reach to truly remember.

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Time passed but in a state of nothingness, it was difficult even to guess whether it went fast or slow.

I opened my eyes at the sudden vibration. In an instant, an expression of disbelief appeared on my face.

«What's happening?»

It was because the iron door that had kept me locked in there for so long was opening by itself. Soon it opened wide and a bright light filled the room.

With such a sudden change in brightness, my eyes stopped working for a moment. However, as they gradually adapted, I saw no change within the room.

«Something wasn't right here...»

I felt a human presence, as well as sounds of people walking on a hard floor that entered my ears. The fact that someone was approaching proved that I wasn't trapped in a space without exits.

«Are they finally going to get me out of here?»

But that feeling of relief vanished in seconds. Figures of people appeared before my eyes, and I was surprised by their erratic appearances.

They wore a white cloak and covered themselves with a hood. It wouldn't have been a problem if they had stopped right there. But they also wore a white mask, and just looking at them, the alert level in my heart rose to the maximum.

"This can't be good..."

It wasn't a glass mask, but rather a mask that a mysterious phantom of the opera would wear, a simple but abnormal-looking mask that covered the entire face.

I could see three figures in front of me, all with the same white mask.

What are these people? Were they followers of some strange cult?

However, I was paralyzed and unable to lift even a finger, let alone make a sound. I could only move my eyes and observe.

Cold sweat ran down my cheeks; I felt I was in a life-or-death situation.

Suddenly, one of the masked men spoke.

—I hope you're well or unwell.

The other responded.

I, who was already on the edge of desperation, fell into even greater desperation.

What kind of response is that? Are they mocking me?

The masked men continued talking among themselves, paying no attention to me. I was already in a state of panic and confusion.

Their conversation stopped, and one of the masked men pulled out a white ring from nowhere. It looked like a round fluorescent lamp, but I didn't think it was a fluorescent lamp. However, the fact that I had no idea what that protruding thing was remained unchanged.

"What the hell is that?"

While I wondered why he would use that object I had never seen before, small needles emerged from the inner side of the ring.

Seven needles in total came out with a sharp sound.

I had a very bad feeling about that.

Suddenly, the needles retracted into the ring, and it went back to being like a normal ring. The masked man holding the ring walked toward the direction of my head.

My body no longer moved, and my voice wouldn't come out; all I could do was look at them without any reaction.

"Please, no... don't come closer..."

The masked man, without any problem, placed the ring-shaped object around my head.

I felt that this time I would really die.

A sudden fear of dying overwhelmed me, but I couldn't do anything to resist, not even cry or scream without being able to do anything.

«No! Stop! Please!»

After a few seconds, the ring-shaped object was placed around my head.

—Stop, please stop...

The words didn't come out of my mouth, but the ring made a cruel sound when the needles pierced my head.

After that, I passed out.