Chapter 40: The Wounds That Never Heal

Nathan's reflection stared back at him, but it wasn't the same face he had once known. His eyes, once filled with quiet resolve, were now hollow—mirrors reflecting the darkness that had seeped into his very soul. The events of the past weeks had left him scarred, but these wounds weren't the kind that faded with time. They were etched deep, invisible to the eye but heavy enough to crush the spirit.

He had defeated the factory's darkness—or so he thought. But the shadow that lingered, the part of him that had been left behind, was still there. And it was growing stronger. Nathan could feel it, gnawing at the edges of his sanity, whispering from the corners of his mind.

Every step he took away from that cursed place had only deepened the ache in his chest. It was a constant reminder that some wounds… never truly heal.

Nathan stood by the window of his apartment, the city stretched out before him, bathed in the pale glow of the morning sun. But even in the light, he could feel the darkness pressing in. It was always there, lurking just beyond his reach.

His fingers traced the jagged scar along his forearm—a reminder of the night he had faced the factory's heart. The wound had healed, but the pain lingered, as if the darkness had left its mark not just on his body, but on his soul.

"You can't run forever…"

The whisper echoed in his mind, a chilling reminder that the battle was far from over. He had silenced the voices once, but the silence that followed was not peace—it was the calm before another storm.

Nathan closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but they clawed their way back, relentless.

Sleep had become a distant memory.

Every night, Nathan found himself trapped in the same nightmare—a warped version of the factory, where the walls pulsed with a sickly glow and the whispers echoed louder than ever. He would see his mother's face, her eyes hollow, her lips moving soundlessly as she tried to warn him.

And then… the shadow would appear.

A twisted reflection of himself, its eyes burning with a cold, malevolent light.

"You can't escape me, Nathan."

Nathan would wake up, drenched in sweat, heart pounding as if he had just run a marathon. But even in the safety of his apartment, the feeling never left him.

The darkness was still inside him.

Growing.

Waiting.

The days blurred together, each one heavier than the last. Nathan went through the motions of life, but he felt like a ghost in his own skin. The people around him—his friends, his coworkers—spoke to him, but their words felt distant, muffled by the weight of his thoughts.

"Nathan, you okay?"

He heard that question more times than he could count, but he had stopped answering. No one could understand what he was going through. How could they?

How do you explain that part of you was… missing?

That the darkness hadn't just left a scar—it had hollowed him out, leaving an emptiness that nothing could fill.

Nathan found himself back at the factory.

He hadn't planned to come here. His feet had carried him as if pulled by an unseen force. The ruins stood before him, silent and lifeless, yet the air was thick with a presence he couldn't shake.

The gate was rusted, hanging on its hinges like the broken jaw of a beast that had been defeated—but not destroyed. Nathan's fingers brushed against the cold metal, and a shiver ran down his spine.

"Why am I here?"

The question echoed in his mind, but he already knew the answer.

"Because it's not over."

The factory had been destroyed. The heart of its darkness had been sealed. But something had been left behind.

"Me."

Nathan's shadow stretched long in the dim light, and for a moment, he swore it moved… on its own.

He clenched his jaw, pushing the thought aside.

"I won't let it control me."

But even as he spoke the words, doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind.

The whispers returned that night.

Stronger.

Louder.

Nathan woke with a start, his chest heaving as he sat up in bed. But this time… the whispers didn't fade.

They lingered.

They followed him.

Nathan stumbled into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, but when he looked up…

His reflection wasn't alone.

The shadow stood behind him, its eyes hollow and unfeeling.

"You can't run from what's inside you."

Nathan's breath caught in his throat.

"I'm not…"

"You're part of me now, Nathan." The shadow's voice was a chilling echo of his own. "And no matter how far you run… you'll always come back."

Nathan's hand clenched the edge of the sink, his knuckles turning white.

"No."

The shadow smiled.

"It's only a matter of time."

Days turned into weeks, and the weight of the darkness grew heavier. Nathan fought it with everything he had, but the lines between reality and nightmare began to blur.

He would see shadows where there were none.

Hear whispers in the silence.

Feel cold fingers brush against his skin when no one was there.

And through it all, the voice echoed in his mind.

"You can't run forever."

Nathan's grip on sanity was slipping. He could feel it.

But he wasn't ready to give in.

Not yet.

Nathan found himself at the ruins again, standing where the factory's heart had once pulsed with malevolence. But this time, he wasn't alone.

The shadow stood before him.

It was stronger now, more defined.

"It's time."

Nathan's heart pounded, but he stood his ground.

"I won't let you take control."

The shadow tilted its head, a cruel smile playing on its lips.

"You don't have a choice."

Nathan's jaw clenched.

"We'll see."

The battle that followed wasn't one of fists or weapons. It was a war of wills, a clash between light and darkness, fought within the confines of Nathan's mind.

Pain.

Memories.

Guilt.

The darkness used everything against him, dragging him deeper into its grip. But Nathan fought back with everything he had—every memory of his parents' love, every moment of strength he had found in the darkest times.

And then…

A flicker of light.

It was small. Barely there.

But it was enough.

Nathan latched onto it, letting it grow, letting it push back the darkness.

The shadow screamed, its form dissolving into smoke and ash.

And then—

Silence.

Nathan opened his eyes, his body trembling, his mind numb.

The darkness was gone.

But the scars…

They would never fully heal.

Nathan knew that some wounds didn't fade with time.

They lingered.

Like echoes.

Haunting reminders of the battles fought… and the pieces of yourself left behind.

Nathan turned away from the ruins, his heart heavy but his resolve stronger.

The wounds would never fully heal.

But maybe… just maybe… he could learn to live with them.