Niana18

Ryan’s nightmares are more than just dreams—they feel like visions, eerie warnings of an impending catastrophe. Haunting voices whisper in his mind, their cryptic messages growing louder, more urgent. A constant ringing echoes in his head, a sound he can’t escape.

Meanwhile, the world around him is unraveling—natural disasters are striking with increasing frequency, people are vanishing without a trace, and unexplained deaths are on the rise. Something is coming. Something inevitable.

Is this the beginning of the end? Or is there something more sinister at play?

With reality slipping into chaos, Ryan must uncover the truth before it’s too late. But can he find the answers he seeks—or is he doomed to be a mere witness to the world's downfall?

Voices Beyond the Horizon

Ryan hadn't been himself lately. Ever since the nightmare, something felt off. The constant headaches—sharp and relentless—made it seem as if his skull was on the verge of splitting open. He had even consulted the school nurse and received painkillers, but they barely dulled the pain.

Today, he and his dorm mates had planned to stay back for the basketball match, but the unbearable throbbing in his head forced him to cancel.

As soon as school ended, Ryan returned straight to his dorm. Despite how sick he felt, he refused to let his studies suffer. By the time he finally closed his books, it was already 9 PM. He leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply. A break was long overdue.

Reaching for a comic book, he settled in, hoping to distract himself while waiting for his dorm mates to return. But his mind refused to rest. Thoughts of the past few days consumed him—the strange sensations, the unshakable feeling of déjà vu, the way his predictions kept coming true.

This wasn't just a coincidence. It was something more.

As Ryan's thoughts drifted and dissolved into the void of his mind, his gaze locked onto the ceiling, where the wall clock hung like a silent observer of time itself. The air was unnervingly still, amplifying the rhythmic ticking—a steady, unrelenting beat that seemed to pulse through his very being. With every passing second, every measured tick, his mind sharpened, as if the sound was stripping away all distractions, bringing him to a state of absolute clarity. It was as if time itself was speaking to him—drawing him deeper into something unknown, something inevitable.

A whisper. Soft, almost inaudible, yet it echoed through his mind like a ripple in still water.

Ryan jolted upright, his senses on high alert. His eyes darted around the empty room. No one was there.

Come take a look outside…

The voice returned, clearer this time. More distinct. This wasn't just his imagination.

Heart pounding, Ryan slid off his chair, his feet touching the cold floor. He hesitated for a moment before stepping toward the window beside his bed. With a deep breath, he reached for the curtains and slowly pulled them aside.

The schoolyard lay beyond his window, shrouded in shadows. The sky was overcast, swallowing even the full moon's light. The trees and bushes stood still, their silhouettes barely visible. Normally, he would hear the rustling of leaves if someone was out there. But tonight—nothing. Just silence.

Ryan exhaled, his grip on the curtain tightening. Maybe he was imagining things after all.

His entire body stiffened. The voice—closer, urgent.

A flicker of motion near the bushes. A shadow, quick and fleeting.

Ryan's breath caught in his throat. Someone's there.

A thief? An intruder? His instincts kicked in. Without thinking, he reached for the window latch, about to open it—

A blinding pain shot through his skull.

His vision blurred. His knees buckled. The last thing he registered was the sensation of falling—before the world around him faded to black.

Chapter 6: The Voice