Through the Dragon's Eyes

Chapter Four || Malevolence

Background music once awake: https://youtu.be/000z5zd6mrc?t=1425

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Sight draws to a wooden hallway ahead of you. Lanterns hung off to the side like flickering tears from the roof above. You examine the walls, the ground beneath your feet, and then, a sliding paper door at the opposite end. Wait. This feels... familiar. It's deathly quiet, a chill in the air rising your hair to peaks.

You've been here before. Seen this before. As if your body is puppeteered by a force not your own, you begin to move familiarly as well, slowly treading down the walkway. A prisoner in your own form, you can only watch as once again events repeat themselves like the previous instance, only this time, it seems to drag by even slower. Your running. The violent shaking of the floorboards. The blue haze. Turns out, the pace isn't the only thing different. Out of the corner of your eye, as you're dashing through the self-destructing area, you notice the lanterns that dangle ominously have changed color. Instead of a normal warm, orange glow, they're a chilling, icy blue. The walls also bleed black, the substance seeping from the top edge.

Your mind fights to free itself, to grab the controls of this train before it hits the end of the tracks. Your efforts are fruitless when your body simply will not respond to your mental commands. Once again, you find yourself staring down into the blue abyss in front of the doorway, it's distance seeming closer than before as if it's teasing you, making you believe you have a chance to reach it.

The stomping can be heard through the hissing vapor around you, sending a chill up your spine. Again, you're left with the same choice. Yet, another thought crosses by. What if you faced it? You don't even know what it is, how could you know the choice you're about to make is the right one?

Your body chooses for you, and in the same motions as before, a few steps back are taken. Harsh running steps forwards. Arms slamming upon the other side.

The same misfortune.

The same end.

-

You wake with a start, a gasp tearing down your throat. Your body aching from the hard surface you had to settle for during the night, the vivid imagery of the dream still haunting your mind.

It rained all night. The splashing upon the concrete emitting a strong smell of petrichor throughout the clouded twilight hours. You aren't sure how much sleep you actually got, but it certainly wasn't much, telling by how heavy your body feels. Upon a rooftop underneath a solid metal platform is where you lie on your back, your quiver used as support for your head. The sky's tears still trickle down, yet much less so than before. You were able to stay mostly dry, making it to this spot before it had really started to turn to a downpour prior to settling down for the night.

You tiredly drag your right arm up to rest on your chest, your heartbeat pounding through your fingers. You take slow, deep breaths to center yourself for a few minutes. Eventually, you roll over onto your side to face your bow that lies next to you, reaching out to grab and drag it closer while you force yourself to your knees.

Picking up your quiver by it's strap, you swing it over your shoulder, situating it upon your back before doing the same with your bow, it's string belting across your chest. You stand, ducking out from beneath the metal platform, the light rain tapping gently on your person. Now that you've chosen this path through Talon, you suspect there will be many sleepless nights to come. Your chin tilts upwards and you gaze into the dark clouds above, letting the liquid patter on your face. For a moment, eyelids shut, returning your amber hues to darkness. You feel the gentle breeze for a moment. You listen. Soaking in the atmosphere of the city around you, the hum of hover cars, the music from shops and distant chatter below, you find your resolve and level your head. Reaching into your hip pouch, you push past the generator fuse and your phone to grip the small metal disk, pulling it out in your palm.