Chapter 11 - Voices in the Darkness

Sol floated in an endless void. No light, no sound - just an oppressive darkness that seemed to stretch infinitely in all direction. 

His heartbeat echoed in his ears, the only reminder of his existence in this strange empty space. As he inhaled sharply, his voice followed the rhythm of his breath, repeating , growing faint then swallowed by the vast nothingness.

"Where... am I?" he whispered, the words ricocheting off the walls of this imagined abyss, the echoes fading as if consumed by the void itself.

Flashes of memory assaulted his mind. The battle. Grak's twisted face. The explosion of force when Grak roared something about an Ultimate Technique . And then...darkness. The weight in his chest deepened as he recalled that moment.

He flexed his fingers, feeling them but unable to see anything. He couldn't see his own body. Panic surged within him, a cold terror climbing his spine. Sol was afraid - terrified of the isolation, the emptiness - but he forced himself to breathe, to steady the trembling in his chest. 

In Zenora, where survival was the only currency, fear was a luxury he couldn't afford. He had always lived by one rule: no matter how bad things get, stay calm, find a way out, and survive.

But here.... in this nothingness, survival seemed elusive.

His thoughts spiraled, reaching for any sense of logic to ground himself. Just as the anxiety gnawed at the edges of his control, a voice sliced through the silence, soft and gentle, but sudden enough to make his heart skip. 

"Sol--"

His name. Spoken clearly, but from where? His eyes darted, trying to find the source, but there was nothing. Only the endless void. 

"Sol."

The voice called again, warmer this time, soothing. It felt almost....familiar? It wasn't just a voice - it was like an embrace and gentle. Sol's heart slowed, his tension easing for a fleeting moment as the sound filled the emptiness.

"Sol," the voice repeated a third time, full of warmth and affection, almost...motherly.

Sol felt something stir deep inside the chest. It wasn't fear, not this time. It was something tender, something comforting that he had never known. 

Could warmth even exist in a place like this? He wanted to move toward the voice, to reach out, to understand - but his body refused to move. It was as if he were paralyzed, stuck between hearing and feeling, but powerless to respond.

And then, just as that warmth began to spread within him, a new voice interrupted. This one was different, tinged with sorrow, regret, and grief.

"I'm sorry...sorry...." the voice sobbed, broken and raw. Each word carried a deep burden, a weight that Sol didn't understand - but could feel. His chest tightened painfully as if the grief weren't just the voice's, but his own.

The voice's sorrow filled him with sense of loss so profound that it took everything in Sol not to break. The connection was unclear - he didn't know who this was, but the emotion was undeniable, leaving a hole in his heart that he couldn't explain.

Suddenly, something cold and unseen grabbed his legs, yanking him downward with terrifying force. Sol gasped, his body lurching as he struggle to resist. But the harder he fought, the stronger the pull became. 

His mind screamed at him to escape, to survive - but the voice had no mercy. His body was dragged deeper, faster into the abyss.

"Stop!"

He yell trying to pull himself free, but his efforts were futile. The force pulling him into the depths was relentless.

Then, just as the panic reached its peak, another voice boomed - one Sol recognized instantly, freezing him in place. 

"How dare you, you damn rat!"

It was Grak's voice. Filled with anger and disgust, it echoed through the void like thunder. The sound alone was enough to paralyze Sol with fear.

In an instant, the abyss shattered. Sol's eyes flew open, his body jerking upright as he gasped for breath. The oppressive darkness was gone, replaced by the dim light of a wooden ceiling above him.

"HAH! --- HAH!"

Panting, he placed his hand on his chest.His heart racing, trying to steady his breath.

[THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!]

It took a moment for him to register his surroundings. Slowly, he lifted his arms in front of him, flexing his finger, watching as they moved in response. Real. Tangible, but the memory of the void lingered in his mind, clinging to his thoughts like a shadow. 

What...just happen? Where am I?

His surroundings were unfamiliar. Wooden walls, soft fabric beneath him - a bed perhaps?

But that void, those voices, especially the sorrowful one - who were they?

The memory of the voice still echoed faintly in his ears. That warm, motherly voice... and the cry.