Nightmarish

Jin stood in a shadowy abyss, his bare feet sinking into the damp, cold ground. The air was oppressive, thick with a silence that seemed alive. All around him, whispers floated like ghosts, faint and fragmented, their tones hauntingly familiar yet indecipherable.

"Faith? Storm? Zephyr?" Jin called out, his voice swallowed by the void.

Suddenly, the fog parted, revealing Faith a few steps away. She stood illuminated by an unnatural light that shifted between golden warmth and ominous crimson. Her figure was radiant, yet something about her seemed broken. Her lips moved soundlessly, forming words he couldn't hear.

"Faith?" Jin whispered again, his voice trembling.

Her head turned toward him slowly, and the sight made his stomach lurch. Her face, once so full of life, was marred by sorrow and pain. Blood dripped from a jagged gash on her forehead, painting her features in crimson streaks. Her eyes, hollow and accusing, pierced through him.

"Jin… you let us die." Her voice cut through the silence, sharp and accusing.

Jin staggered back, the weight of her words crushing him. "No! That's not true! I didn't—"

The ground beneath Faith cracked violently, splitting open to reveal a fiery chasm. From the depths, a monstrous black hand emerged, its claws glinting with malice. It coiled around Faith's waist, dragging her downward.

"Faith!" Jin screamed, running toward her, but his legs felt as though they were shackled in chains. The more he pushed forward, the farther she seemed to slip away.

Faith's hand reached for him, her eyes pleading, but the monstrous claw pulled her into the abyss. Her screams echoed, fading into the void.

Before Jin could process the horror, the fog shifted again, and Storm and Zephyr appeared on the other side of the rift. They stood together, their faces pale and their expressions etched with terror.

"You promised to protect us," Storm said, his voice hollow and devoid of warmth.

"You said we'd always be together," Zephyr added, her tone trembling, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I tried! I swear I tried!" Jin cried out, his voice breaking as desperation clawed at his chest.

But they didn't seem to hear him. The monstrous claw returned, tearing through the ground beneath the twins. The earth shattered like glass, and flames erupted around them. Their screams pierced the air as the claw dragged them into the fiery depths.

"NO!" Jin roared, reaching out, but his hand grasped only shadows. The ground beneath him crumbled, and he fell into an endless void of screaming darkness.

Amid the chaos, a venomous voice resonated, its tone laced with malice. "You failed them, Jin. You will fail again. You are weak."

---

Jin's eyes flew open, his breath ragged and uneven. The pale light of dawn seeped into the room, casting long shadows on the walls. He sat up abruptly, his body drenched in sweat and his hands trembling.

The nightmare lingered at the edges of his mind, its vivid horrors fading like smoke. But fragments remained—Faith's blood-streaked face, Storm and Zephyr's betrayed expressions, the monstrous claw, and the suffocating void.

Faith… Storm… Zephyr…

Their names echoed in his mind, a painful reminder of what he had seen—or imagined.

"What… what was that?" Jin whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Jin, are you awake?" Eleanor's cheerful voice called out. He could hear the faint shuffle of another person beside her.

Jin didn't respond immediately, still trying to calm his racing heart. "Jin! Are you still sleeping at this hour?" Eleanor's playful tone carried a teasing edge as she knocked again.

Finally, Jin managed to pull himself together. "I'm coming," he said, his voice steadier. Rising to his feet, he opened the door, still bare-chested.

The sight that greeted him was unexpected. Eleanor and a maid stood outside, but their reactions surprised him. Both froze, their eyes wide as they took in his toned chest and muscular arms. Years of survival and training had sculpted his body, but he hadn't thought much of it.

The maid's face turned crimson, and she looked away, flustered. Eleanor, however, stared unabashedly for a moment before snapping out of her daze.

"My lady," Jin said, his confusion evident.

"J-Jin, put on the robe!" Eleanor stammered, her face flushed. "My father wants to speak with you."

The maid, still blushing furiously, thrust a robe toward him. "Here, young master," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, before hurrying away as though fleeing for her life.

Jin accepted the robe, puzzled by their reactions. "I'll be ready in a moment," he said, stepping back into the room to dress.

When he returned, Eleanor was waiting, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a strange fidgetiness. Jin noticed but decided not to press her. His thoughts were preoccupied with one thing: why did her father want to see him?

As they walked through the grand hallways, an uncomfortable silence hung between them. Jin finally broke it. "My lady, do you know why your father wishes to see me?"

Eleanor nodded but didn't look at him. Jin pressed on. "Will you tell me?"

Eleanor hesitated, then stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. "I told my father about how we found you, about your memory loss… and I said you'd stay with the clan until you recover. But he wants to meet you before deciding."

Her words weighed on Jin. Before he could respond, they reached a massive set of double doors adorned with gold and white carvings, a lion's head etched at the center.

"This is the audience chamber," Eleanor said, stepping aside. "Someone will take you to Elder Elliot after this."

"Who is Elder Elliot?" Jin asked, but Eleanor didn't answer. Instead, she flashed him a playful smile and dashed off.

Jin stared after her, confused and mildly frustrated. Shaking his head, he turned toward the doors. Taking a deep breath, he pushed them open.

Inside, the room was expansive, and five figures sat in an arc around a central throne. The air was heavy with authority, and an oppressive pressure bore down on Jin.

What awaited him within these walls was a conversation that could shape his future—or unravel it.