The Fear of Fascination || Ateez SciFi x Fantasy

Epilogue

Color entered his world and made it beautiful again. It was no longer ambiguous or scary or menacing, but in fact so clear and sharp that he could make out every detail that was granted to his eyes.

The crystal still dominated his vision, and though it was split in two now, they were still part of the same whole; shining differently yet synchronously; with opposite shapes that complemented each other. The surrounding bodies also distinguished themselves, yet not by shape or size or species – everyone fitted everywhere.

He understood now, that they could be wherever they wanted to be.

On the left, four figures turned slightly to the side and he was elated to recognize his friends by features rather than colored gems. He no longer had to rely on the way they called his name or the feeling of their desperate hands on his cold ones, though the memories and sensations remained familiar to him. How could he ever forget?

Sometimes he thought that these were forever engraved in his heart.

He glanced to the right, where the shard seemed to glow brighter to get his attention. Just as easily he spotted the intimate faces among the crowd, those who worked so hard for his sake yet uttered no word of complaint. They were laughing and talking, and laughing some more, a sound he never quite understood the value of until now. He was drawn to it like a magnet, and somehow he knew they were speaking of him, which only made it even more alluring. Almost... fascinating.

It came to him as a surprise when he realized he could move his limbs. The senses came back to him, flooded every cell of his anatomy. He was agile, not prone but standing, light, and free. He stepped towards the voices, the voices that carried no coherent words, only sounds brimming with positive emotions. He walked and as he did, an idea struck him abruptly, so much so he had to pause.

Perhaps it was not his world that had changed, but he. He could see better, hear better, feel better. What else, if not that he could perceive better?

He pulled back and chuckled at himself for being so foolish. It's a dream, he thought. Just to make sure, he tried saying it aloud, and when that did not work, he knew he had his answer. It's just a dream. Smiling, he took a step back to drink in the whole scene ahead of him again.

The crystal pieces shimmered while the people huddled around them in celebration. Simple as that. Acknowledging that his presence was not known to the others, he observed quietly in anticipation... of what, he did not know.

When finally something happened, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But that could not be the case; he already established that he could accomplish feats that were usually impossible to the average person. So it must have been true, then. The assemblies of figures were moving away from each other, pushing their shards with them as they flowed powerfully like a tsunami.

The sounds were still there, though. They were still excited as they faded and vanished in the air. All of a sudden he panicked, and he had the queer urge to chase after them and shout, Wait for me! Where are you going? And the only thing that stopped him was the seven people that stayed behind, starkly small and insignificant in the empty space, between two fragments of a whole, now more separated than ever.

His friends murmured and chuckled softly amongst themselves, and he felt safe again for a while. Whatever happens, it's still a dream, he tried talking to himself, forcing a smile, yet his voice never came. Instead...

"San?"

One of them had perked up and was staring straight at him. How? I thought they couldn't see me. Unbelieving, he remained frozen in his spot, thinking that perhaps he made a mistake, even if it did not make sense. Yet they continued calling for him, and two braver ones began to approach, their shadows growing bigger with every step.

"San, it is you!" they cried. "We've been waiting for you – come on!"

He scoffed at himself again, startled and amazed. I guess anything can happen. As the small group gathered around him, he let himself be hugged, be hailed, be loved. Although he had no idea where they were going, he followed when they walked ahead, passing in between the iridescent and colorful stones.

The gems seemed to grow larger, and not just in perspective. They pulsed around him like living things, and he felt he had no choice but to stop. Emerald, gold, red, and teal. Orange, pink. Basil and scarlet and black. Purple. He reached out tentatively to the swirling hues that carried power and life beyond his understandings and––

"San!" His friend called, breaking him from his reverie. "What are you lingering for? Let's go!"

He retracted his hand, though not without regret. He was dragged away again, and this time he saw the doorway they were heading to: a white, shimmering outline against a white, bright background.

For an instant, he remembered just how it felt when he was in the darkness.

Unwilling, he looked back one last time. The crystals glimmered like twinkling stars taunting him, their writhing colors almost blinding... Until a white form materialized in the corners and appeared to spread over them like a veil.

But he could not be so sure, for he was hustled through the threshold and the door closed, shutting out everything behind him.