Cheers finally erupt from the uncomfortable silence as the crowd recognizes that a winner has been decided. My head feels light, uncomfortably light. I try to make my way towards the others however my sense of balance has abandoned me. Struggling to make my way towards my companions, some priests rush towards me. Immediately casting some spells and helping me keep my balance.
The adrenaline rush I got during the fight has officially ended, as I can feel my body signaling that it's in a lot of pain. What probably was to be expected when you're down an arm. Whilst being balanced by these robed priests, I start to fade in and out of consciousness before my vision turns completely dark.
***
I open my eyes after having fallen unconscious. Feeling surprisingly light and refreshed.
“Well, this isn't so bad.” I say out loud, expecting a reaction from a familiar and very often annoying gentleman.
“….”
No answer comes, however, making me feel uncomfortable. The darkness that I thought would fade hasn't gone away, making me realize something very important. This is not a dark room in the Talvit estate, nor is it any room at all. I am sitting in complete darkness, however not quite the darkness I felt when I reincarnated. When I reincarnated in the darkness, I could still feel the changing environment and my eyes began to adapt. This darkness feels as if it has always been here and will always be. Almost like I'm somewhere where no one should have ever been.
My breathing fastens as time passes, losing myself to the panic and madness that welcomed me in the beginning.
“What is this! WHY! NOT AGAIN!” I start to scream out of my lungs as fear and trauma have won against my common sense. I begin to pull my long brown curling hair with my 2 hands, which tears off rather easily thanks to my inhuman strength.
“Wait… My arm. Why do I have my arm back?” I ask out loud, baffled by the sight before me.
Taking a closer look at my physical appearance, I notice a familiar purple ethereal shimmer surrounding me. No, rather, it seems that my body is made out of this purple energy.
“Think logically, I've seen this purple ethereal shimmer before. It's the outline of a soul. That and the fact that I miraculously have recovered my arm probably means that I'm not in a physical body anymore.” I begin to ramble, trying to figure out what's going on.
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About 2 minutes of me saying anything that comes to mind passes by. I take a big breath, trying to calm the sense of panic and madness that is starting to return.
“I'm a soul at the moment. But why is my soul here?”
“...”
“WHERE IN THE HELL AM I!!!” I yell, infuriated, whilst trying to slam my fist against a non-existent floor.
“Where, where, where?” A distorted voice answers.
I immediately look towards the source of the voice, but am unable to find this new acquaintance.
“Who are you?” I ask, trying to see if it's friendly or hostile.
“We, we, we, we, we, we, we are, are, are, are, are, are, are” 7 different ranging voices answer one at a time, all sounding unnatural and creating this feeling of an omnipresence.
“What we are and not what we are not.” They all suddenly respond together, which makes them sound even more suppressant than they were before.
'We are what we are and not what we are not.' I repeat what they said in my head.
'Alright, it looks like I'm not going to get any real answers from them. The source of the voice doesn't seem human or something I can relate to anyway, and they answer like that one smart ass in class who's constantly vague for no reason.'
Having made a short summary of these creatures, I try to continue the conversation in a friendly manner.
“Well, I'm honored to make your acquaintance but do forgive me, I don't like talking to things I can't see.” I say towards these entities, using a rather polite tone to keep the situation from blowing up.
“…”
“Very well.” The seven voices respond unanimously, the tone of their voice altering with each word they speak.
Seven gigantic eyes appear around me, seemingly distant but still far too close for comfort.
“Here, here, here, here, here, here, here.” All seven call out to me independently this time.
“Do you see?” The seven voices merge in one once more to ask me a question.
“I do.” I respond rather timidly, feeling uneasy with the seven eyes that seem far away but still clear to see.
'How big are those eyes? They seem as far away as the sun but a hundred times its size.'
“What's happening?” I try to ask calmly, which is rather hard in this predicament.
“You're seeing.” The seven merged unnatural voices respond.
“Why am I here?”
“To reach a decision.”
“What decision?”
“That remains to be decided.”
“What?” I respond, confused by these vague and illogical answers.
“Not yet.” The merged voice says to me, making no sense in this conversation whatsoever.
“Not yet what?”
“To see.”
“TO SEE WHAT?!” I yell, my rage having taken over all other emotions.
“That remains to be decided.” The unnatural, distorted voice answers, not bothered by my sudden outburst.
“…”
I don't answer, trying to regain my calm. The vague answers of this entity make me feel stupid or annoyed, and both are not helpful in this stressful situation.
“How do I go back to Lucille's Light?” I ask, trying to leave as quickly as possible.
“Wake.”
“I'm not slee-” I try to answer before being cut off.
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
“WAKE!”
The seven unnaturally different voices yell, managing to shake this dark place. The pressure and general volume of these yells crash upon me, feeling as if they're actively crushing my mind. Making me lose consciousness for the second time on the same day.