"...who?"

His brain repeated itself, trying to come up with anything with less than stellar success. One thing was certain: his headache was overtaking his imaginary list of problems at the moment.

The sudden surprise subsided, and he started walking slowly again. His hand was sliding on the wall, trying to feel out anything as his shoulder was throbbing and burning up in unbearable pain, while his weakened, shaky legs were moving as if being dragged forward instead of the owner moving them willingly.

As his mind raced, trying to find answers, he was sure his eyes caught a sudden light coming from in front of him. He stopped short, his eyes darting around in search of it.

He didn’t notice, but the sudden exposure to something new in this realm of darkness made his heart beat faster, and his rapid breathing stopped short as the air stuck on his throat. Yet for the time being, nothing could be seen or heard, no matter how many times his eyes darted around, trying to catch anything.

Five seconds passed. Then ten. When it reached fifteen, his body relaxed, and the air escaped his lungs as he slowly breathed it out. By twenty, he was sure.

„Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me in this dark place..." he thought.

Illusions aren’t that rare when someone is isolated and his senses are blocked. In a way, it’s a shock reaction to not being able to use something you could before, just like an arm or leg that isn’t there anymore, yet you can still feel it.

But could you think with common sense in mind in such an abnormal place? Clearly, this darkness wasn’t normal; otherwise, the eye would have been somewhat used to it, even if just a little. „Maybe I am blind?" He thought.

Tap, tap, tap.

He got back to walking, his bare feet twitching here and there as he stepped on a sharper stone. The wall under his hand still felt the same.

Just then, the light source appeared again. His body tensed up because, unlike before, it hadn’t disappeared. It wasn’t a trick on his eyes. It was there. Right in front of him. Small circles of light—not one but two.

As if his body were reacting for him before he could think about what he saw, he stopped short yet again, trying to remain as silent as possible in front of those lights.

The lights slowly, very slowly, moved to his right. He could hear soft and delicate stomping noises, so silent that he nearly believed it was just his heart thumping a bit louder in his chest, until pebbles made sound and then echoed in the darkness.

His thoughts made a clear statement about how he feels.

„Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away..."

Fear. Now that something has appeared, he knows he isn’t alone in this place, wherever it is. There is no one who doesn’t fear the unknown. From this primal fear, another thing rose up. Anxiety.

His teeth started trembling. Even if his mouth was closed, he could hear and feel himself shaking, making his anxiety spike. Slowly, he started getting sensitive to anything he did—how his eyes might be visible to the thing walking by—and how even if he couldn’t see, that didn’t mean that thing couldn’t either. For all he knows, those eyes see him crystal clear. He was frozen solid as his heartbeat took up the rhythm of the soft thumping as the owner of those two circles passed by. Until only silence remained yet again in this dark void.

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„...haah..."

His anxiety suddenly disappeared as relief took over, even forgetting about his painful body for the moment. Whatever that might have been, it didn’t notice him. He was safe. Unbeknown to him, an awkward smile appeared on his face as comfort filled his weary heart.

He looked down to his legs—at least to where he thought they might be—and made some digging movements with his thumbs, then made sure the trembling disappeared. As he oriented himself forward again by tapping at the wall, he looked back and–

A pair of lights met his eyes.

„...!!"

Being surprised like this, his body instinctively tried to distance himself. His body twisted backward towards the light and made two rapid back steps.

„Kuh...!"

But he stepped on a stone, and with him being in the condition he was in, his shaky legs gave in, and he fell down on his bottom. Yet his eyes never left the other pair.

„I was tricked..." Without a doubt, he was.

The thing used its presence against him masterfully. It didn’t notice him, at least not at first. A presence was felt, and it wasn't sure if there was something where it thought there might be or not, so it walked past, stopped a bit farther away, and looked back, waiting for something to appear and make noise. And it did.

„Grrrrr..."

He heard grumbling coming from the direction of the pairs as they got closer. He felt like prey, outplayed by a predator. A shiver ran down his back as he slowly backed away on the ground, but it was too late to escape.

When he heard thumping and noticed how the pair of lights rapidly moved towards him, he reflexively pulled his legs closer and pulled his arms over his front to protect his chest and face. Right after, a strong force assaulted his arms. He didn’t even have time to shout in pain as numerous sharp fangs sank into his wrist, ripping open his flesh and sinking into the meat. He tried to pull his arm to the side, but it was to no avail; the thing was stronger and pulled him in the opposite direction instead.

He started to panic. His thoughts were all over the place, while his body was hardly responsive due to the shock and pain.

"W-What should I do..." He thought as his arm was pulled left and right, shaking and tensing as piercing pain filled his mind over his shoulder being moved.

He tried to kick, but the thing just let go of his arm and instead bit into his leg. It started dragging him on the ground, trashing his leg sideways as it loosened its hold on his leg just to bite into it again even stronger.

"I can’t do anything. I can’t..."

For a moment, the thing backed off and circled around him, maybe measuring what to do next.

"I really can’t..." He can’t escape. He can’t attack back. He can’t defend against its assailant. He lost here. But does that even matter? He doesn’t even know who he is to begin with or why this situation is even happening. Does losing matter? What does it entail? Losing...

"Is this the end...?" His body relaxed, and only such thoughts remained. His fist slightly loosened, and he felt his lips shaking, maybe from adrenaline or just from the dire situation. His mind became surprisingly clear despite the predicament he was in, and he just felt... nothing.

Does it really matter if he moves forward here? Dragging his pain filled body, like a nail getting stabbed into his foot after each half step. Does it really matter if he just stops here? In this black chasm of nothing, this corridor of darkness that goes forever and ever, somewhere yet nowhere. Does it really matter if this thing takes his life? If he dies?

"Death... What is death...?"

As he lowered his defenses, the thing stalked closer from the side, slowly but steadily. As he looked into the aggressive yet powerful marble balls of light, the strength that remained in his body left him. His back hit the cold ground under him, and he took a few deep breaths. He slowly closed his eyes. And waited.

"Kk...ugh..."

The thing went for his neck, easily passing through the thin layer of flesh, and before long, as it slowly increased the pressure, a loud cracking sound ended it all. Silence filled the dark again.