Apollyon Irithryl

Under the gaze of the Heart Lake, its waters shimmered in sunlight and the reflecting leaves from above, the world seemingly holding its breath. Spring’s gentle warmth began to stretch is arms across the land, bathing it in sunshines and opening the first blossoms that danced lightly in the cool breeze—the remnants of winter’s fading breath.

Mira sat beside me, her dress the color of soft sunshine, it folded, swaying with the wind like a gentle whisper. The surroundings sunbeams made her glow in the silvery light of her hair, and when she smiled it was as though the very air around us grew warmer.

We were having a picnic to celebrate the end of winter’s long slumber. The grass beneath my hands, the scent of wildfolwers in the air, the singing of birds celebrating the end of one season and welcoming the new one.

Horny was here too, nestled in the Heart Trees shadow, taking a nap.

It was perfect.

Everything was so beautiful that I felt sad at the thought of closing my eyes, even if just to blink—as if missing even a second of this perfection would be a small tragedy. But when I finally did, an unexpected heaviness settled over me, and no matter how much I tried, my eyes refused to open again.

Before even panic had the change to rise, a familiar, insidious sound echoed through the stillness, slicing though the peace like a hidden knife.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

My eyes snapped open, and the mesmerizing scene of light and warmth had vanished, replaced by the familiar surrounds around the bed, only this time, instead of warmth, it was the suffocating weight of the deepest night. Not a single glimmer of light penetrated the darkness—not even the moon above the window.

Mira lay beside me, her sunny dress transformed into her night garment, her left strap spilling down her arm as she wrapped her hands around me in her protective embrace.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sound of nails clashing against the window echoed again, louder this time, each tap a sharp strike that made my skin crawl. It called to me like every other night.

I turned, instinctively bracing myself once again for the same result—the flickering shadow, lingering just beyond my peripheral vision, and vanishing completely once my gaze was at the window, leaving nothing but an empty darkness.

With a frown, I slipped from the warmth of the bed, a coldness creeping up my spine as I jumped out of the bed, my bare feet touching the floor. I was ready for the next part of this nightmare, wanting nothing more than to be done with it.

As I neared the stairs, the sound changed. The tapping against the windows morphed, growing into something more aggressive, more demanding.

Tap. Tap! … Thud. Thud. Thud!

The front door rattled violently under the force, the very air in the room thickening with a darkness that seemed to seep from the gaps, heavier than the starless, moonless night outside

But this time, something was different. The nightmare... had changed.

The door didn’t open, and no shadow stood on the other side. Instead, the banging grew louder, more frantic, as if whatever was out there was desperate—furious.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The door groaned under the strain, but it held. It held.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck me from deep within, radiating from my core like a fist punching through my chest.

For some reason, it wasn’t as heavy as it should have been, but it was there, gnawing, demanding my attention. The pressure bent me forward, forcing me to clutch my stomach as I staggered onto the first stair. And just as my foot touched the step, both the banging and the pain exploded with new ferocity.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound tore through the house, shaking the very foundations. It wasn’t just noise anymore—it felt alive, vibrating through the air, the walls, my very bones. And yet, despite the agony rippling through me, I felt drawn to the door. The pull was undeniable. Something was out there, waiting. Calling.

‘I shouldn’t move, shouldn’t go any closer.’

Every instinct screamed to stay away, but my legs betrayed me, stepping down the staircase as if possessed. Each step felt like I was sinking deeper into something I couldn’t escape.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each strike reverberated through the house, shaking the walls with such force it seemed like the entire structure might collapse. The pressure in my chest grew sharper, hotter, every knock an echo that rattled inside me. Louder. Closer. As if the door itself was alive, pounding with a terrible heartbeat that matched my own.

Halfway down, my chest was burning, every breath a heavy gasp as if the air had turned thick with smoke.

I paused, gasping for air, trying to slow my heart’s frantic race. But the pull was relentless. I couldn’t stop now.

I forced myself down further, each step heavier than the last. By the time I reached the lowest stair, the tremors shook the entire house, rattling every window, every loose board. The walls groaned, threatening to give way. My feet tangled beneath me, and I slipped, crashing onto the floor with a sickening thud.

For a moment, I lay there, stunned, expecting the worst—the door to burst open, the shadow to finally step inside, or the pain to rip through me again. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.

But it never came.

Instead, everything fell still. Silent.

The house stood completely motionless. The air, once suffocating, turned crisp and calm. The pain in my chest evaporated, leaving only a strange emptiness in its place. No more knocking. No more trembling. The door remained closed, untouched, as if none of it had happened at all.

With cautious steps, I moved closer, face to face with the door. The weight of its presence pressed down on me. I stared at it, a deep scowl forming on my face. This door... and the shadow behind it. I hated them—hated them with every fiber of my being. There wasn’t a single thing I despised more. Not even the Phoenix.

I didn’t dwell on the feeling.

Tightening my grip on the handle, I yanked the door open with all the force I could muster.

And there it stood.

The shadow, its formless face and accusing finger aimed directly at me. Every time I faced it, the shadow loomed over everything, colossal, dwarfing me and the world around it. But this time... this time, it was different. It was no longer towering. No longer unreachable. It stood eye-to-eye with me, its presence no less suffocating, though, that invisible twisted grin clear as day even if invisible.

And then, they came—the whispers.

The indiscernible murmurs that shook me to my core, but now... now I could hear them. Clear. Cold. Cutting through the silence.

With its accusing finger still pointed at me, the world itself seemed to rise up in fury. A voice—a hundred voices—roared from the void, howling, repeating the same two words over and over.

“You forgot! You forgot! You forgot!”

Suddenly, a boundless darkness spilled from beneath the shadow’s feet, a living thing, devouring everything in its path. It crept across the ground, swallowing the grass, the trees, the very earth itself. The leaves withered in its wake, the stars themselves seemed to flicker and die, swallowed by the endless black. The sky, the earth, the air—I could feel it all slipping away into the abyss.

In an instant, the world was consumed. I stood alone in the void.

The shadow blended seamlessly into the darkness, disappearing into the vast, empty nothingness. But the voices—those cursed whispers—echoed from everywhere now, a chorus of shapeless, accusatory screams from all sides.

“You forgot! You forgot! You forgot!”

And then, the ground beneath me gave way.

Everything collapsed, and I was falling—plummeting into the dark void below.

“You forgot! You forgot! You forgot!”

Robbed of sight, the rest of my senses followed, unraveling one by one. I couldn’t smell. I couldn’t taste. I couldn’t feel. My body—my very existence—was disintegrating, swallowed by the void.

Time had no meaning here. I couldn’t tell how long I had been falling. Seconds? Hours? A lifetime? I didn’t know. Only the emptiness remained... until it didn’t.

The pain came back. That same torment radiating from my core, but this time, it was far worse. Far sharper. It was as if someone was hammering into my chest, pounding relentlessly against my tattoo. Each strike felt like they were trying to tear it from my skin—again, and again, and again.

The void seemed to pulse with each agonizing beat, as though it was feeding on the pain, consuming me from the inside out.

At some point, even the whispers faded, leaving nothing but the raw, burning agony. The pain was everything. It was all I knew. All that existed.

Then... the darkness shifted.

Far below, deep within the void, a flicker of light pierced through. A crimson glow, faint at first, but growing. Bleeding into the blackness. The flicker grew brighter and brighter, swelling, until it was the only thing left, a vast, burning red.

And I hurtled toward it, faster and faster, the light consuming everything, pulling me into its blinding embrace.

***

My eyes snapped open.

A scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate, as I bolted upright, gasping for air.

A loud squawk echoed nearby, and before I could comprehend anything else, I was pulled into a warm, tight embrace.

“Hush, my dear, hush, it was but a dream.” Mira’s drowsy, sweet voice cut through the lingering haze, soft and comforting.

But I couldn’t focus on it, for two reasons.

One, because a strange bird was trying to flap its wings, unable to and walking closer to me.

And two...

Because the moonlight spilling through the window...

Was red.