Chapter - 10 [ Aydan Fall ]
In the dark and sinister embrace of a towering mountain, the night was alive with the eerie whispers of the wind.
The path was uneven, riddled with jagged stones and thick roots that clawed at the earth like skeletal fingers.
A young man trudged down this treacherous trail, the faint crunch of gravel beneath his boots the only sound breaking the oppressive silence.
On his shoulder rested a large telescope, its metallic body catching fleeting glimmers of moonlight that pierced through the dense canopy above.
In his right hand, he carried a worn leather bag stuffed with the telescope's additional parts, each piece essential for his nocturnal stargazing.
This was Aydan Fall, a budding astronomer and a lover of the cosmos.
His fascination with the stars and the mysteries beyond the sky bordered on obsession.
Every clear night, he ventured out to the mountains, where the light pollution of the bustling city couldn't obscure his view of the heavens.
Tonight, however, the universe seemed reluctant to reveal its secrets.
"The stars are dim tonight," Aydan muttered, his voice tinged with disappointment.
His sharp gray eyes flickered toward the sky, which was gradually being swallowed by a blanket of thick, dark clouds.
"Looks like I won't be able to see much for the next few days. And the air is so humid." He sighed deeply, adjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder.
The looming storm wasn't part of the forecast he had checked earlier that evening.
He felt a surge of frustration as a gust of wind tugged at his dark hoodie.
"Who even pays those weather guys for such lousy predictions? God, please don't let it rain yet. Just let me get to my room first!"
As if mocking his plea, the wind grew colder, the distant rumble of thunder a warning of the downpour to come. Quickening his pace, Aydan moved with determined urgency, his boots striking the path in a steady rhythm.
Unbeknownst to him, danger lurked just ahead.
A mere hundred meters from where he walked, the space around a massive tree began to shimmer unnaturally.
The very fabric of reality rippled, distorting like the surface of a disturbed pond. Then, with a sound like tearing parchment, the air split open, revealing a colorless rift.
A clawed, jet-black hand emerged from the void, its fingers long and jagged, resembling the talons of some monstrous predator.
The hand paused, as if testing its new surroundings, before retreating into the rift.
A moment later, the tear sealed itself, leaving no trace of its sinister existence. The forest was quiet once more, save for the rustle of leaves in the wind.
Aydan, oblivious to the bizarre event, continued down the path. Yet something stirred in him—a fleeting sense of unease.
His gray eyes instinctively darted to the shadows surrounding him, scanning the trees with caution. Finding nothing amiss, he shook his head and pressed on.
But he was not alone.
A small black shadow slithered silently through the darkness, moving with unnatural grace.
It followed him like a predator stalking its prey, closing the distance with every passing second.
Aydan remained unaware of the danger that loomed just behind him, the storm overhead a mere prelude to the chaos that was about to unfold.
The faint rustle of bushes shattered the fragile silence of the night. Aydan froze mid-step, his pulse quickening.
His gaze snapped toward the source of the sound, and for a moment, his grip on the telescope tightened as if it were a weapon. The shadows around him felt heavier now, more alive.
He swallowed hard, his throat dry. Every instinct screamed at him to keep walking, to ignore whatever it was and get back to the safety of his room. But curiosity, laced with a gnawing fear, held him in place.
Rustle...
The noise came again, the sound too deliberate to be the wind. Aydan took a shaky breath and mustered what little courage he had, inching cautiously toward the bushes.
Each step felt like it took an eternity, the crunch of gravel beneath his boots unnervingly loud in the stillness.
"H-Hey! Shuu! Shuu!" he stammered, waving his free hand at the foliage as if scaring away an animal.
His voice trembled, betraying the fear bubbling inside him. The cold night air seemed to cling to his skin, and the darkness around him felt suffocating.
The bushes didn't stop moving. Whatever was hidden within ignored his weak attempt to drive it away.
His words seemed to vanish into the void of the night, unheard or unheeded.
Rustle...
The movement continued, steady and unnatural. Aydan's legs felt heavy, his instincts screaming louder now.
He tried to convince himself it was just an animal—a stray dog, a fox, or maybe even a bird disturbed by his presence. Yet a deep part of him, the primal part, knew better.
"I... I'm not scared!" he called out, his voice faltering. He shuddered, not only because of the cold but because of the growing dread curling in his chest.
He wasn't brave, not by any stretch, and the reality of being utterly alone on this dark mountain made his fear ten times worse.
He took another step closer, cautiously reaching out to part the bushes. His breathing was shallow now, his heart pounding so loudly it felt as though it might burst out of his chest.
"Come on... just a rabbit... please be a rabbit," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.
But the rustling persisted, relentless and unyielding. Whatever was hidden behind the foliage was waiting. Watching.
And then, just as his fingers brushed the branches, the rustling stopped. Silence descended again, so sudden and complete that it sent a chill down his spine. The wind stilled, the forest seeming to hold its breath.
A big brown rodent jumped out of the bushes, startling Aydan but also bringing him a strange sense of relief. His heart pounded in his chest, but he let out a shaky breath.
At least it wasn't the creature he had in mind. If it had been, today would have been his last.
The fat rodent squeaked, baring its tiny teeth as it stomped its small feet. It seemed to be warning Aydan to back off, its behavior aggressive and unrelenting.
This particular kind of rodent appeared far too territorial, and it didn't seem willing to let him pass.
"I am going, so stop making noise!" Aydan muttered, waving his hand dismissively. His nerves were still on edge, but he forced himself to maintain his composure. He had more important things to worry about than a rodent.
Shaking his head, he turned away and stepped back onto the narrow, winding path that snaked through the dense forest.
The trees stretched high above him, their gnarled branches intertwining like skeletal fingers.
Shadows danced on the ground as the faint moonlight peeked through the canopy.
This time, Aydan was more careful about his surroundings, his sharp eyes scanning the bushes and undergrowth for any signs of danger.
But when misfortune comes, there's rarely any warning.
Thud!
The telescope slung over his shoulder slipped loose and fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
At the same moment, his hands let go of the bag he was carrying as a strange and overwhelming sensation took hold of him. His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Panic gripped him as he felt a sharp, searing pain erupt in his chest. Aydan's head tilted downward, his breath hitching in his throat as his vision focused on the horrifying sight.
His chest, his very flesh, seemed to move unnaturally, throbbing and squirming as though a swarm of tiny maggots had burrowed beneath his skin. His pulse raced, and an uncontrollable scream tore from his throat.
"Ahhh!"
All he could do was scream, shout, and writhe in unbearable agony. His body, from the neck down, was completely paralyzed.
No matter how much he willed his limbs to move, they remained frozen in place, refusing to obey his commands.
The flesh on his chest suddenly tore apart, the fabric of his shirt ripping as if by some unseen force.
A transparent channel began to take form, radiating colorful waves of energy that pulsed and shimmered.
A dimensional rift, about the size of a football, had opened up directly within his body.
It glowed ominously, the light from it casting strange patterns on the ground around him.
The space surrounding the rift, along with the flesh of his chest, began to crack like a shattered mirror. His fragmented body seemed on the verge of collapse, yet somehow, he was still alive.
White, vein-like lines spread out from the rift, snaking through his flesh like the roots of a tree. Each line seemed to burrow deeper into his body, embedding itself into his very being.
"A-Ahhk Ah…" His screams turned into choked gasps, his voice faltering as tears streamed down his red, swollen eyes.
The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It felt as though his entire existence was being torn apart, piece by piece.
'I am sorry, Mom and Dad,' he thought, his mind drifting as the pain overwhelmed him.
'If I hadn't made you go with me that day… I could've been with you. It was my fault. I'm so sorry. Really sorry.'
Memories of his childhood flooded his mind, each one a bittersweet reminder of the life he had once had.
He saw his parents' smiling faces, heard their laughter, and felt the warmth of their embrace.
Regret consumed him, weighing heavily on his heart as his consciousness began to fade.
His vision darkened, the world around him dissolving into nothingness. His body slumped to the ground, lifeless and still.
---
"Ha… Ha…"
Soft breaths puffed from his mouth as he stirred awake. A bright light struck his vision, forcing him to squint as he slowly opened his eyes.
He blinked a few times, his mind struggling to process his surroundings.
He was lying on the ground, in the exact same spot where he had fainted. The forest path stretched out before him, but the eerie darkness of the night had been replaced by the golden hues of daylight.
The blazing sun hung high in the sky, its rays filtering through the leaves above. Small clusters of clouds drifted lazily across the heavens, carried along by the gentle breeze.
Wiping the saliva from the corner of his mouth, Aydan groaned and pushed himself up slightly.
His body felt sore, but the intense pain from before was gone. He glanced down at his chest, his eyes widening in shock.
There were no traces of the horrific rift. His blue t-shirt was intact, as if nothing had happened.
"W-What?" he muttered, his voice trembling with confusion. His hands fumbled as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his bare chest.
His skin was unblemished, no signs of the cracks or the white roots that had pierced his flesh. But something was different.
His chest was more muscular than before. His arms and shoulders seemed broader, his body more defined. Though not overly bulky, the changes were noticeable, at least up close.
Stunned, Aydan ran his hands over his body, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Then, something caught his eye. His reflection wasn't visible, but he could feel the strands of his hair brushing against his face.
It felt lighter, softer. Reaching up, he grabbed a lock of hair and brought it into view.
It was silver.
His hair, which had always been a deep black, was now a brilliant silver, shining faintly in the sunlight.
"What… is happening to me?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. He stumbled to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him. He felt disoriented, dazed by the events of the previous night.
Yet, amidst his confusion, he became acutely aware of something inside him. A weight, a presence, a power unlike anything he had ever known.
It was like a spark of energy, coiled tightly within him, waiting to be unleashed.
He placed a hand over his chest, closing his eyes as he tried to focus. The sensation was overwhelming, but it also felt oddly… comforting.
Aydan's breathing steadied as he stood there, his mind racing with questions. Whatever had happened to him, it was far from over. This was only the beginning.