On a vast expanse of grass, stretching as far as the eye can see. The sun hangs high up the sky illuminating the whole world, the whole world but a block of darkness resting somewhere on the field of grass.
The block of darkness was perhaps a dozen meters wide, while 4 or 5 meters tall with its depth being about half a dozen.
Its appearance was not the same as the absence of light made up of shadows, but something else entirely. It was neither made up of light or shadows, but rather something that could only be described as void taking form.
It was not black, per se but rather it was as if it was absorbing the colors around it and only appeared as black.
If one tried to look at it for too long they would start hearing voices that come seemingly from nowhere, until eventually they start seeing people or things that aren't real.
And if one was to try and touch it, they would find themselves being consumed piece by piece, until they eventually disappear.
Around the darkness stood pieces of stone with figures being on them.
One of them was hard to make out, from the moment you set your eyes on it it either takes on the form of your worst fear or fills your heart with dread. Of course both could happen simultaneously, but if its appearance wasn't shifted to your worst fear but instead only filled you with horror you would find yourself unable to make out its appearance, as it would take on many other forms --- which could be counted as other people's fears. It was leisurely sitting on a stone.
The other was a young man with bright blonde hair, the brightest blonde hair you'll ever see really, and he was wearing a white garment with leather sandals. His eyes were bright blue with sparks of electricity coursing through them, and sometimes even jumping out of his eyes. If you were to try to carefully look into his eyes you would feel a mild sense of being electrocuted. His face was wide, lips full and cheekbones high. He was lying down on a stone with his hands set up over his eyes, to block out the sun.
The third and final one was a young man with his white hair slicked back, if you were to look carefully into his green eyes you could see a transparent clock inside them. He too was wearing a simple garment, but his was black. Unlike the other two he was standing while on the stone with his gaze firmly set on the block of darkness.
"How long are you going to keep staring at that damned thing?" The one that was hard to make out spoke up, granted his voice sounding rather ominous.
"Yeah. We've been here for like... I don't really know how long, but it feels like forever." The blonde one spoke before the third one could respond.
"We've been here for exactly 21 hours and 15 minutes." The white-haired one spoke without a hint of irritation, but his gaze still remained on the block.
"Little boy have you perhaps started hearing voices, or even better seeing people?" The first one spoke up again, his voice carrying a hint of mocking.
The third one just kept quiet and intently kept staring at the block.
The first one seeing as it wasn't going to receive a response followed up.
"You know, maybe you've already gone crazy. Perhaps this thing I'm talking to right now is just a shell of that block, its slave even."
The third one frowned before replying.
"Well, little horror why don't you come and see just how crazy I am, or you know to see if I am just a shell."
The first one grinned before replying.
"And what about its slave?"
The third showed no reaction.
The second one, with the blonde hair meanwhile was listening to their conversation with an amused expression.
"See he really might be its slave." He chimed in.
"See? That's what I've been thinking. There's no way someone would willingly stare at that for 20 hours." The first one replied with obvious joy in his tone while pointing at the block.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"Be careful, you never know, it could make him attack us." The second one replied.
The first one was about to reply until the third one spoke up.
"From you two, I expected nothing. And yet I'm still disappointed."
"Are you calling me an idiot?" The first one spoke with a wide grin.
"No, not just you. Him too." The third one replied while pointing at the blonde one, his gaze still being fixed on the block.
"My, oh my! To think that I've followed you all the way here to this rat hole only to be insulted. What do you say Ozasias, should we leave?" The first one spoke up while pretending to be insulted.
"We just might, to think that Termian would insult his only allies. I just about can see why people hate him so much." The so-called Ozasias replied while failing to hide a grin.
"What allies I have? You might as well be called enemies, judging by your usefulness." Termian replied before the first one could speak up.
The first one laughed, his ominous sounding laugh causing the blades of grass around them to wither.
"Ah boy, don't overexaggerate now. We have all the time in the world. Right?" It replied.
Having heard the word time, Termian slightly shifted and the previously withered blades of grass started brimming with life once again. Meanwhile the transparent clock inside his eyes started spinning backwards.
Seeing as Termian wasn't going to reply the first one got up from the stone and started walking towards him when all of a sudden the darkness shifted.
It started to change its shape into something akin to a ball rather than the previous block.
Not only that but a figure was slowly emerging from the darkness --- it too was made of darkness. It managed to outline the shape of a body with the light being sucked into it.
Fully stepping out of the now-formed sphere stood a 'person' with its back facing Termian specifically. The 'person' touched the sphere of darkness and started to reshape it back into a block.
After doing so it quickly turned and set its gaze on Termian who was now surrounded by his allies. Their gazes met for a second and granted it was looking at Termian, you could say it was looking through him, looking at someone else.
---
Waking up in a daze, Urvashi instinctively grabbed his head, only to find out that his hands now weren't old and frail -- but instead young and brimming with energy once again!
Granted, they were perhaps too young. Right now his body was like that of a teenager, but he didn't care.
He started crawling towards the exit of the alley only to discover a pleasant surprise; he could move freely now!
He wasn't as slow or tired as before, so he started running as fast as he could.
One step, two steps, he eventually managed to leave the alley.
He was now at the point where his bullet had previously stopped, and to his delight that crow wasn't here.
Having run off to the street, he was now dealt a choice: would he go left or would he go right?
Having no time to waste, he quickly decided to run left, and that was because he heard the flapping of wings coming from the right the last time.
And while he was running, he had a strange thought. It felt weird moving in this space; it was as if the air was thicker.
He didn't let that stop him though; he kept running until he eventually found... the crow.
His heart skipped a beat, or a dozen, before he realized the crow wasn't moving. It wasn't even standing; it was lying on the floor.
Coming up to the crow with careful steps, Urvashi flipped it over only to find out that its entire torso was missing, and from where its torso should have been dark particles were coming out.