21 - THE END

The world around me was as bleak as ever.

I stepped through the door, only to find myself standing in a desolate land wrapped in darkness. Withered black flowers surrounded me, lifeless and drained, silent witnesses to the misery of this place. The air was thick with the scent of dampness and emptiness, and an eerie silence swallowed everything whole.

I felt it. A gaze piercing through me from afar. Watching.

Red eyes, glowing like embers in the void.

I lifted my gaze. Atop a towering throne sat a figure cloaked in shadows, their black hair draping over them like a shroud. A suffocating presence surrounded them, pulling everything into its abyss. My heart pounded violently, my fists clenched instinctively despite the tremor creeping through my fingers. I squinted, focusing on the details.

And then, I froze.

A brutal wave of shock crashed over me. That was no stranger. That was no illusion hiding behind the veil of nightmares.

It was her.

Eilaf.

How? How could this be? Where was her innocence? Where was her laughter, the light that once pushed away the dark? But no… what I was witnessing wasn't her. Not truly.

She sat upon that ominous throne, her body relaxed as if she were the queen of this forsaken land. Her hands rested gently against her cheeks, her head tilted slightly, lips curled into a vacant, lifeless smile—a corpse's smile. It held no warmth, no humanity… just a ghost of what she once was.

Then, she spoke. Her voice was quiet, yet it carried an unsettling weight, a presence that sent a chill down my spine.

"I am your mind… I am all your thoughts."

She descended from her throne, humming softly—"hmm, hmm, hmm"—a haunting melody that seeped into the air like an omen.

Her footsteps were slow, deliberate, each one dragging through the silence like a blade scraping against stone. The closer she came, the heavier the air became, suffocating, inescapable.

"How are you, my dear?" she cooed, her voice smooth yet laced with something sinister.

Then, with unnatural grace, she placed her cold hands upon my shoulders. My entire body tensed as her face drew closer, too close—a nightmare unfolding before my eyes. The distorted features, the hollow gaze, the cruel smile stretching unnaturally across her lips… it wasn't her. It wasn't Eilaf.

And yet, she continued.

"I know, my dear… the world has been cruel to you."

Her breath was cold against my skin, her presence swallowing every ounce of warmth.

"But don't worry. I'm here."

Her fingers gripped my shoulders tighter, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Just submit to me, and I will stay with you. You will never be alone again. You're not planning to abandon me, are you?"

She let out that chilling hum once more, tilting her head as if observing something fascinating—the fear in my eyes.

"Hmm, hmm… what's with that look? I've reached you now, haven't I?"

Her smile never wavered.

I swallowed the dread choking my throat and forced the words out. "You're not the one I know."

Laughter. A twisted, hollow laugh that sent shivers down my spine.

"Oh, but you made me this way."

Her fingers traced my jawline as if to mock my resistance, her gaze piercing into mine.

"I am all of your mind, every thought, every whisper you ignored."

Then she leaned even closer, her lips barely moving as she spoke:

"I paved the road for you, guided you here. I may have played with you a little, made you believe you were happy with me. But wasn't I the one who saved you from your miserable reality?"

I clenched my fists. "This place is far worse."

Her expression didn't falter. "Oh?"

A quiet chuckle escaped her.

"You're just now realizing that?"

She tilted her head, feigning innocence before her voice dropped into a whisper again.

"You couldn't control your desires without me. Without me… you'd be nothing but a lonely, pitiful existence."

I shoved her away with all my strength, but she barely budged. She stood there, smirking, as if she had expected this all along.

"No! I won't let you control me anymore!"

I clutched my head, pressing harder and harder, trying to hold onto something—the book. Yes, the book… This was all inside my mind, inside my imagination, and if that was the case, then I could summon the book.

But she wouldn't let me.

"You won't be able to!" she screamed, stretching her hands into the air, as if trying to tear my focus apart with her long, thin fingers.

Suddenly, the wilted black flowers surrounding me began emitting an unbearable noise, like a chorus of suffering voices, as if they, too, were trying to strip away the last remnants of my will. From the darkness around me, other sounds arose… hushed whispers, twisted laughter, broken sobs…

Then, her laughter filled the space, echoing, deafening, designed to shatter any mind capable of resistance.

I screamed, the pain tearing through me, drowning me in this abyss!

But I refused to give in. "I CAN DO IT!"

And then…

The book appeared.

I saw it before me, pulsing with light in the midst of the darkness. Without hesitation, I grasped it tightly and ran.

But she wasn't far behind.

"My dear…"

Her voice slithered through the air, but this time, it was different… as if she was breathing directly into my ear. Her words chased me through every corner.

"My dear… my dear, where are you?"

The whisper became a scream.

"MY DEARRRR!"

She was getting closer…!

I had only one choice.

I tore out the first page of the book.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

A wretched scream erupted, shaking the entire world around me, as if I had torn away a piece of this cursed realm itself.

I didn't stop.

Another page.

"NOOOOOO!"

Her shrieks intensified, the ground trembled, but I kept going.

Another… page…

With every page I ripped, the screams grew louder, the chaos surged, as if this world was desperately clinging to me with its final breath.

But there was no other way.

Darkness finally faded…

I woke up.

I was back in my world, sitting at my desk, my hands still trembling, my heart pounding as if trying to break free from my chest. I cried.

I cried for everything I had been through, for everything I had seen, for what I had lost and what I had reclaimed. I swore to myself that I would never let my mind control me again, never again be a slave to that darkness.

Days passed. I returned to life, to the reality I had always tried to escape. Then, one morning, my phone rang. A voice on the other end spoke with excitement:

"There's a conference you must attend! Your novel has become a massive success, and people want to hear from you—about your thoughts, your plans."

I was stunned. Then, I was thrilled. Me? My novel? A success?

I went to the conference, standing before a crowd, filled with excitement, pride, and an energy I had never felt before. I looked at their faces, their eager eyes, and then I spoke, my voice steady:

"Never… give up. Not to those around you, not to your fears, not to anything that tries to steal your essence. Struggle, endure, fall, rise, fight until you achieve what you desire. No one can stop you but yourself. You can do this."

A thunderous applause filled the hall, and for the first time, I felt truly alive.

After the conference ended, I sat at the designated area to sign books. A long line of readers stood before me, happy faces, shining eyes, people holding my novel as if it were a treasure. I signed each one, smiling, grateful for every word of thanks, every look of admiration.

Then, the last person in line stepped forward.

He held out his book with a shy smile, handing it to me as he said:

"Please, sign it with your name… and add mine next to yours."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his request, but I smiled. I looked at him and gently asked:

"And what's your name?"

A small smile formed on his lips before he spoke the name :

"My name… is Eilaf."