William sank deeper and deeper into his dreams.
He thought he heard a shout in the distance but it was distorted and came from too far away.
It was cold in the place he found himself. Darkness all around him, even the lights above had gone out.
Before he had time to think about it further a vengeful bitter cold gnawed at his soul.
He felt fear. It was all-consuming, he'd never felt anything like it in his entire life. That overwhelming fear assaulted his very being. He felt like an ant that had just been smothered with a cold wet rag.
He was choking...In fact... he was dying...
Just before his final breath, he felt something else. Amongst the fear, something heavy and painful that choked and burned like hot lead.
He felt rage...
How much of his life had he wasted?
How long had he known that he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong things?
It ate at him. That compact burning lead at the core of his being smouldered spitefully.
He'd wasted his life and now it was over. Just as he finally felt like he was able to change.
As the immensity of his mistake sunk in, that smouldering lead in the core of his soul, a heavy ball of molten hell that spewed out nothing but hate, suddenly changed.
Before he had chance to observe the changes inside of him he heard a noise to his left.
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He awoke abruptly, in the cold dead of night. With no starlight to guide him and the moon covered in shadows, it was hard to see.
However, he knew. He was not alone.
A sudden movement to the left and a flash of red...
Whatever was happening, he couldn't take it any more. That deep hatred he felt from inside of him started to bubble...
"I WILL NOT STAY STILL ANOTHER SECOND!"
With madness and fire in his eyes, William surged forth.
Thrusting his hands forward like a clawed beast.
"Splat", something warm hit him in the face, it was accompanied by a foul burning stench.
A fierce, sudden, howl of pain assaulted him. He felt pain as red hot liquid dripped from his ears.
Before he could regain his senses he heard more sudden movement around him. He bore his teeth, as he looked around.
A few quick yelps later and it seemed like whatever beasts were surrounding him had fled.
As he stood in the darkness, hands covered in choking hot liquid, just as he was trying to make sense of the situation a piercing shout tore through his mind.
*UNVEILING, HEAVENLY CONSTRUCT*
He toppled to his knees, the heat filling his body momentarily receding. Hands on his head, he felt the vibrations of a sound all around him.
He looked up as he saw a flash in the abyss.
As a small purple mist in the vast distance of space suddenly covered the sky, he saw them...
Two, small but bright flashes of flickering light. Like candles hanging in the sky...
The night sky once abandoned was lit ever so slightly. The two candles flickered with small but bright intensity, they were accompanied by hundreds of faint and dull silver dots that faded in and out of existence. Finally, despite whatever had happened. He was no longer alone.
As he looked upon the two minuscule, bright candles that flickered in the distance. For a brief moment, he was grateful.
Looking more closely at the two stars he felt something else. He felt strange, it was different from both of them. Something extremely subtle. It was so subtle, he wasn't sure which feeling came from which star. If there had been more he doubted he'd have been able to feel anything at all. But in that moment, what he felt, if he had to describe it, he'd say it felt like a subtle, muted sense of curiosity from one. And a subtle but clear sense of confidence from the other.
Before he could think more about it, he remembered the sensations of his body. For that brief moment he'd been so relieved by the display above he'd forgotten himself. His weary head naturally lowered.
What he saw both scared and confused him.
A giant wolf lay dead before his hands, smoke still rising from its body. The glint of killer eyes he'd sensed was gone leaving behind nothing but a blank husk staring suprised at him. The stench was awful, as he choked putting his hand to his throat he noticed his hands.
Black scorched marks, sticky burnt liquid and the same choking stench he now assumed was burning flesh covered his hands.
Before he could react, the rage within him started to bubble up again. He wasn't even sure why he felt so angry this time.
His body started to feel hot again, he pushed the corpse aside and got to his feet.
If anyone could see him at this moment they'd be horrified, a man covered in smoking burning blood, eyes ablaze looking fiercely into the distance. He moved forward like a beaten worn man, moving only by the purpose that possessed him.
He stumbled forward, one step. Two steps.... and then...
With all the rage and determination he could muster....he fainted.