Soon as the hat settles on my head, I am overwhelmed by a rush of sensations. In that moment, it feels as if something has connected. The park transforms into a blurry, hazy landscape.

Memories flood my mind like a tide. There, I see her – Stella. She's the focus of the world, her heartwarming laughter and cheerfulness numbing the dread feeling in my heart. But the moment shifts as darkness encroaches. She's near the park, and just behind her, the ominous figure—the Shadow Thing—looms. It's in the exact same spot Elara stood just moments ago.

Eyes wide, she freezes as the Shadow Thing extends its hand. I feel the panic rising within me as I witness this moment unfold, and am utterly helpless to stop it.

"No!" I shout as I try reaching forward to do something, anything. But the feeling of helplessness gnaws at my heart.

Stella's expression shifts from surprise to fear as she realizes what's happening. She goes pale. Her mouth opens, and just as she manages to scream "Help! Help! Heliar, help!", she is swallowed by the darkness. She is gone – just like that.

I stand there, her desperate voice still ringing in my ears. Slowly, the vision begins to fade. The colors of the world come flooding back to me. I stagger back, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.

"No!" I gasp, clutching the hat, a part of me believing that it could somehow bring Stella, and Elara back. The reality of what I just witnessed settles in on me, like a heavy stone.

I stumble away from the park, my mind still haunted by what I just witnessed. The world feels dull and lifeless. The hat weighs in on me, a reminder of Stella and Elara's disappearance. The streets blur past me, and the faces of strangers fade into an indistinct haze. I can't shake the feeling of defeat clawing at me.

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What could I have even done? What way could I have stood up against him, against the Shadow Thing, who is—what even is he? Where did he come from, and why?

I reach my front door and pause, staring at the familiar wood, now seeming foreign and cold. I push it open and step inside, the silence enveloping me. I want to scream, to rage against the injustice of it all, but I just feel... hollow.

I toss the hat onto the table. I collapse on the couch, burying my face in my hands. The weight of it all crashes down onto me.

I can't help but replay the scene in my mind—their faces, the fear in their eyes, that darkness. I close my eyes, wishing for a miracle, a way to turn back time, to have another chance. But that is a folly thought. Time wouldn't bend to my will, and the past is set.

But all is not lost. If I can't change the past, I can at least affect the future. I have to find a way to confront the Shadow Thing. I can't let fear dictate my actions any longer.

I sit up, taking a deep breath. There has to be something I can do—there has to be.

Then, it hits me. Maybe if I go to sleep, I will have that vision again. That damned bird, it has to be the key to all this. It's connected to the darkness, to the Shadow Thing, and to Stella and Elara.

I make my way to my bedroom, pushing aside the lingering doubt in my mind. I put the hat away. I take a piece of paper, and write their names on it. It is said that names have power, and this is the least I could do in their honor. The act feels grounding, a small ritual against the overwhelming chaos that has taken hold of my life.

I set the paper on the table beside my bed, a silent promise that I won't forget them, that I'll fight for them. With that small flicker of hope ignited within me, I lie down, pulling the blanket over myself. I close my eyes and allow the darkness to envelop me, hoping it will bring me closer to the answers I desperately seek.

But the hours slip away without revelation, and I awaken to the first light of dawn.

As I blink into the new day, my gaze lands on the table beside my bed, where the piece of paper still lies. I reach for it, puzzled.

"Huh? Stella and Elara? Who are they?"