"Stupid rock," I complain to no one in particular while making my way back to the clearing. I haven't been able to figure out much about it. So far, with so many attempts I did not manage to incite a reaction from it yet. Nothing has worked. Since hitting it with another rock or throwing it to the ground until making a tea of glowing rock with it. Not even poisonous. Willing the rock to do something gets no results apart from feeling silly, maybe I shouldn't try every idea that pop-ups on my head.

The only thing that worked so far in provoking a reaction is using the knife to cut it. I didn't do it in the end, though, I felt an inexplicable and intense sense of danger when I was just about to do it and the same each time I try.

Eating the rock would probably do something aside from indigestion and is now the last thing to try. Regardless, I am not going to do it, drinking a useless tea of glowing rock is different from actually eating the thing. Finding out is not that important so no way I am eating rocks of doubtful origin anytime soon.

It's not as if I have a lot of time each day to waste playing with rocks, I haven't made advancements with the Mingan's ability.

"Stupid rock." All that effort I put into obtaining something like this and is useless.

I stop in a free spot and put a hand on my chest. I wanted to complain more but I notice that the pain is increasing. With the moonlight illuminating the clearing well enough to see all around me, I lie down. Since ten days ago I have been having constant pain in the chest, so small that I thought at first that I was imagining it. Yesterday, it became noticeable higher.

I am perplexed about this, of course, that it was well about time I got sick after eating so many strange things but I don't know what to do about this. It's not a physical injury as far as I can comprehend, their healing doesn't work on it. It can even be a parasite inside me and the pain is just my body telling me of its presence. Whatever the case I might have to carve open my chest to see for myself if the pain doesn't stop soon.

I chuckle. As if it would stop alone with my luck.

I look at the sky as I resist the pain. During all the time I have been harassed by this—ten days— it never went away, neither it changed until yesterday. It was bothersome but constant, so barely noticeable that I even got used to it a bit. Yesterday, it reminded me of its presence with an increase of the, until then, constant level of pain and it seems that today is the same case as well.

I wonder, will these become more frequent until my death? More likely until I can't take it anymore and take my own short life? A little fatalist on my part but I can't help but remember about some sickness that rots limbs and kill the patient, they can be saved with amputation if it's still not too late and there is no healing magic available. If that is happening to me now and I cut a part of my chest would the healing be strong enough to patch it up? Can they even regenerate lost limbs? No, could I cut myself so casually? Maybe.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Gazing at the night sky washes away some of my doubts and preoccupations. What is the worst that could happen? Death? Not a big deal anymore.

The night distracts me from my unwelcome trial, it's completely clean, no fog or clouds on sight this night. A strange occurrence in this place, fog doesn't let you see too far into the horizon, not even when looking from the top of a tree. Most of the time clouds paint the sky, rainy day or not.

Looking at all the stars and the endless blackness behind I feel like being back in the town, the night sky is the same that back then. As if nothing has changed. As far as I can tell, at least, but it's familiar enough for me.

I feel very nostalgic, but not for memories of the town. I can't point my finger completely over the reason. It's just like I have seen the stars many times before, overly familiar, even although this must be the second or third time. Never was very interested in them, really.

Now, I feel tears rolling down from my eyes. I feel sad and helpless. Just what is happening? I am not crying because of the still increasing pain, it's an involuntary act.

To my shock, a few seconds later the pain becomes unbearable, I put my hands on my chest, making pressure with my palms but to little result, failing to relieve me even a bit. As I thought before, the pain isn't physical. But is not false either.

I could sense a change. Something changing. Not in me but beyond me, beyond the night, beyond the stars.

I feel my conscious slipping and I make a monumental effort to stay awake.

What are the stars? Are they things? Of what are they made then? They are dispersed through a blanket of infinite darkness, like windows of light piercing the darkness to announce their existence. I read once that the stars were the souls of dead people, waiting for us to join them. A rather dark read but what if that is true? Does that mean that a new star appears up there each time someone dies or each time someone is born? Many new stars were born high there that day?

Something I should know, that I should remember, hovers on the edges of my thoughts. Unreachable but yearning to be known.

I can see the creatures surrounding me in the corner of my eyes. I can't move. I can't stop looking at the stars either. I feel a gaze, another one, the night sky staring back at me from above. I shudder. Not from above, from the past.

I open my eyes wide, basking on a momentary awareness, gazing behind the stars, beyond them, recognizing the infinite, the boundless dark, almost feeling it as my own and sense an old, very old bind between us being tied back into place.

I regain some of my conscience and admire the beautiful sight of the starry sky, more colorful than ever. Full of life, as if that life were all its own.

At this moment, from the binding something crawls into my being, a conscience, and it wants to consume me, my soul, the world. But then, from the Great Wild, an infinitely fast blade of Intent shreds the binding to pieces.

I open my eyes.

The sky is covered in clouds and among their cover, I can make up the moon hidden behind.

I freeze.

From where did the clouds appear? The moon wasn't in the sky a moment ago. I get up and look at my surroundings, the group is sleeping nearby, as always. Smiley, one of the older Mingan is sleeping right at my side.

Then, I notice it. The pain is gone. Nothing more has changed. Except for one thing, I somehow feel rather empty. I think I forgot something and as I try to remember it the memory becomes hazier and hazier until I am unsure of why I started to remember something.

I feel fine.

Freaking woods. I don't understand what happened. For a moment I lied down, the acute pain getting worse, I started to cry from pain and my thoughts started digressing then I blinked and suddenly all was as If I just woke up from a dream.

Even so, I think I just had a dream. Or was it a nightmare?