Opening my eyes once again, I felt as though I'd been submerged into a never-ending darkness.
Darkness stretched infinitely in all directions, swallowing everything in sight. The world around me was a blur- muted and suffocating.
"Ukh- Ukh-!"
The darkness eventually receded, as though it had only been an illusion.
My eyes opened to a vast, unending landscape. Far into the distance, I saw a variety of crumbled buildings, and ruined structures; spreading and stretching like thread of vines. Specks of dust clinging to the sandy terrain beneath them.
'Where's this?'
Panic surged through my veins.
After all, no regression of mine had ever brought me here.
Yet somehow—
"...."
It felt strangely familiar— Like I'd seen it somewhere.
'Weird.' I tilted my head, confusion marring my features.
But, just as I struggled to understand my current situation.
Crack—!
I heard it.
Thud—! Thud—!
The sound of feet thundering against the ground.
For a second there, I froze, heart hammering.
Turning back, I caught sight of a figure wreathed in darkness. Their eyes were a deep hollow blue, while their horns crackled a bizarre dark energy. They had small, pointed scales jutting out of their body, adding to the fearsome aura they radiated.
"Djinn?" I frowned.
I had no idea how I knew of its name, but I wasn't too surprised either.
Somehow, ever since my first regression, I realized I knew more than most people. And it would've been a great thing.
...If only my memories weren't lost in fragments.
To put it in simpler terms, while I might have a deep knowledge of the Djinn, I may be lost in certain aspects. And, in most cases, there were aspects that could pretty much save my life.
"Grrrowwwl!"
A loud growl escaped the djinn's lips— rattling my skull and dulling my senses.
'Great!'
I cursed under my breath, and without a second thought, immediately took to my heels.
Step. Step.
I ran with everything I had.
My muscles strained with each step that I took, yet, I kept going. I kept running.
Over countless regressions, I never became great at many things, but I certainly grew into a master when it came to the art of taking to one's heels.
Step. Step.
The Djinn was getting closer now, its jagged maws coming into view, tentacles wriggling hungrily within.
The sight sent a jolt of fear through me, but I forced it down, using it as a force to propel myself forward.
The fear spurred me on, pushing me to run even faster. And,
"Huff... Huff..."
I could hear them now.
Its breath. It seemed so close. Too close...
Almost as though it was right behind me.
Its steps echoed louder. Each step resounded in my ears, intensifying the hammering of my heart.
I glimpsed back, and it was then that I caught sight of something. Something that sent dread rippling through every fiber of my being.
"....!!"
Far into the distance, a tenebrous dark mist was slowly rising, clouding everything in sight. It moved at an astonishing speed, yet that wasn't the dreadful part.
Thump... Thump...
The dreadful part?
Everywhere it passed by, be it buildings, constructs, or structures — All were erased. Almost as though they'd never existed in the first place.
"W-ha—!"
My eyes widened in shock, fear rising within me.
And the worst part?
The dark mist was rapidly closing in on us.
Step. Step.
I needn't be told to run even faster, pushing my legs beyond their limits.
On the bright side of things, I now knew the Djinn wasn't trying to kill me and was only running for its life. And, on the not so bright side, I was also now running for my life.
'Just how bad can my luck possibly get?!'
I was now within the peripherals of the crumbled buildings and constructs I'd seen earlier, but even then, I kept running.
Somehow, I knew I was looking for something. Something that could save me from the clutches of this bizarre entity.
So... I ran and ran. And, eventually, when I stopped, panting heavily, my chest heaving.
I saw it.
"...."
A crumbled building with various weird sigils.
A Dune Structure.
A building or construct that protects one from the Dark Mist. Much like the safe zones from the endless darkness.
Without any hesitation, I bolted for the door.
The Djinn was also now right beside me.
...However, instead of fighting, we both ran without a care for each other. After all, our lives was currently being threatened by a more bizarre force of nature.
Yet, just as I neared the door.
BOOM!!
'It came.'
A blinding punch shot toward my face. My breath hitched for a second there, but it wasn't as if I hadn't expected such a change. Just not this early...
I rolled across the ground, barely avoiding the strike. In the course of doing so, my momentum slowed down and—
I was certain about it. The Dark Mist would catch up to me.
A cold glint flickered in my eyes, anger bubbling up within me.
I glanced around and without a second thought, grabbed onto a sharp circlic stone, hurling it forward with every ounce of strength I had left.
Whoosh—!
It pierced through the air at a rapid pace, striking right through the running Djinn's weak spot- its forehead. The Djinn stood for a couple of seconds, or so it seemed, blood dripping down its forehead as it slumped onto the ground with a loud crashing thud.
I rose to my feet, heart hammering.
Just then—
I felt it.
A cold, unnatural wind rose behind me.
'Fuck!'
My eyes widened. And before I could do so much as to take a single step, the dark mist was already upon me.
It surged forward, consuming everything in its path.
And before I knew it—
It swallowed me whole.