Prologue

Prologue

In the dark expanse of the void, a teen stood amidst the infinite abyss, his very presence a small flicker against the backdrop of chaos. With unruly grayish-black locks framing a countenance marked by penetrating gray eyes, he seemed almost insignificant compared to the vastness that surrounded him.

Yet, there was a tension in the air, a palpable sense of unease as an indescribable entity loomed before him. It was a being beyond comprehension, a mass of pure chaotic energy that defied all conventional understanding. Without eyes, it seemed to fixate on the teen, its gaze piercing through the fabric of reality and into his very soul.

Words that transcended language echoed in the teen's mind, accompanied by an excruciating pain that tore through his being. He collapsed to his knees, the overwhelming sensation threatening to consume him entirely until darkness enveloped him and consciousness slipped away.

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Ethan was jolted awake by the familiar sound of his phone's alarm, its shrill beeping piercing the silence of his room. Breathing heavily, he slowly calmed his breathing, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Sitting up in bed, he glanced around his cozy bedroom, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains.

With a yawn, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched, feeling the stiffness of sleep dissipate from his limbs. As he got ready for the day ahead, Ethan couldn't shake off the dream he had and the splitting headache that followed.

Descending the stairs of his family home, Ethan greeted his parents with a smile, exchanging brief pleasantries over breakfast before grabbing his backpack and heading out the door. The familiar route to school passed by in a blur as he lost himself in his thoughts, his mind drifted back to the dream from last night.

"What was that dream? It was so weird to be real yet it felt so real."

Sighing, he thought, Oh well, thinking about it won't help me right now.

Shaking off the thoughts, he continued on his way to school. Arriving at school, Ethan fell into step with his friends, their laughter and chatter providing a comforting backdrop to the start of another mundane day. He sat through classes, his attention wandering as the teacher droned on about equations and historical events, his thoughts consumed by the peculiar sensations stirring within him.

Ignoring the sensation, he continued with the day. He went through the rest of the classes of the day and he went home. Walking past a similar park, he walked into the vast expanse of greenery, the park served as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life. Ethan strolled along the winding pathways, lost in contemplation as he pondered the strange occurrences of the morning.

As he wandered deeper into the park, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, a sensation that prickled at the back of his neck like a warning. Glancing around, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, but the unease lingered, casting a shadow over his usual sense of calm.

A sudden headache washed over him like a wave, causing him to stumble slightly. Clutching his head, Ethan closed his eyes tightly, trying to push through the pain. But as the ache intensified, so did the strange sensations coursing through his body. Unaware of the area around him, he didn't see the plants and grass around him starting to wilt and die. Ethan started to stumble his way out of the park while trying to walk off the headache. The headache finally faded by the time he made it out of the park.

Deciding to head home for the day to hopefully sleep off the recurring headaches, making it home, he noticed the absence of his parents. He wondered if they were still at work, pushing back the thought, he slowly made his way to his room, entered, and closed the door behind him. He started to walk over to his bed, but he experienced a massive headache larger than the one in the park. It came suddenly, and the pain was so great that he passed out just shy of his bed, collapsing on the floor.

Prologue: End