PROLOGUE
1079 Words
WHERE AM I?
Eric's surroundings blurred into focus as he surveyed the room. The walls were pristine, adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shine in the artificial light. As he tentatively stepped forward, the cold sensation beneath his bare feet sent shivers down his spine. The air carried an eerie silence.
His memories were fragments, disoriented. How did he end up in this type of situation? The last thing he recalled was a nothing and a fleeting sense of danger.
A disconcerting revelation struck him – he had no recollection of how he had entered this bizarre chamber.
The lid of the coffin lay discarded beside him, and he hesitated for a moment, glancing back at it with a mix of disbelief and trepidation. The golden exterior was luxurious that contradicted the grim purpose of such a vessel. A living person confined within a gilded coffin – it was beyond surreal.
The realization that someone planned this confounding scenario fueled Eric's determination to escape. He tiptoed across the room, searching for an exit.
The metallic taste of fear lingered in his mouth as he explored the eerily sterile surroundings.
Eric's mind raced, attempting to piece together the puzzle of his confinement. The walls seemed seamless, devoid of any cracks or openings. Was he trapped in some kind of prison, or was this an illusion? What kind of a person would keep a living person inside a coffin?
He shook his head, he didn't need to know the answer. He just needs to get his hide from this place.
His thoughts were interrupted by a distant noise – footsteps approaching. Panic surged through him as he hastily concealed himself behind the coffin. The door swung open, revealing a figure draped in a cloak of shadows. A hood concealed their face, leaving Eric to wonder about the identity of his mysterious captor.
As the cloaked figure advanced, Eric's instincts kicked in, urging him to remain hidden.
The cloaked figure paused, seemingly aware of Eric's presence. A moment of tense silence ensued before the figure resumed its path, retreating.
Eric's hand gripped the cold doorknob, a subtle click resonating through the air as he turned it. The door swung open with a soft creak, granting him an escape route from the perplexing chamber. A fleeting sense of relief washed over him – freedom was within reach.
However, his elation was short-lived. A voice, dripping with an unsettling mix of amusement and menace, shattered the stillness. "Where do you think you are going, young man?"
Eric turned to stare at the speaker.
Before him stood a man, an embodiment of the surreal. Dark hair framed a face with blood-red eyes that seemed to pierce through his reality. The man's unnaturally pale skin added an otherworldly quality, leaving Eric speechless.
Disquiet settled in Eric's gut, but defiance fueled his next move. Without dignifying the question with a response, he bolted from the room.
Rationalization attempted to brush off the encounter – perhaps it was a bizarre fashion statement or elaborate contact lenses. The nagging thought, however, lingered like a persistent shadow.
As Eric sprinted through the corridors, his mind was not at ease.
In his haste, Eric collided with another figure, a woman with an aura that resonated with an otherworldly beauty. Her pink hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing a face adorned with crimson lips and eyes that mirrored the haunting hue of fresh blood. A low snarl escaped her lips, revealing elongated fangs that defied the laws of human anatomy.
Fear gripped Eric as he stumbled back from this supernatural encounter. His mind grappled with the impossibility of what he witnessed – a man with crimson eyes and now a woman with fangs. It was a surreal nightmare, and Eric couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that he had stumbled into the devil's lair.
Eric's eyes widened in a mix of disbelief and horror. Could she be a vampire? The crimson eyes and elongated fangs were the stuff of folklore, but here, in this bewildering place, reality seemed to twist into the fantasy.
The thought of being a victim, 'Was she going to suck his blood?' he mused.
His blood drained by supernatural beings, sent a chill down Eric's spine.
The woman, sensing Eric's fear, observed his reaction with a detached understanding. Her features morphed from a snarl to a neutral expression, as if veiling her true nature behind a mask of normalcy. It was a disconcerting shift, leaving Eric questioning the boundaries between a normal person and a weirdo.
Instinct kicked in, and Eric sprinted away from the strange woman. Every corner he turned revealed more of them – people with red eyes and unnaturally pale skin.
Desperation led him to a corner where he folded into himself, head bowed low to avoid drawing attention. Any noise could betray his presence to these people, 'How did I get here?'
In the hushed corner, Jack grappled with the enormity of the situation. Were these beings real, or was this some elaborate illusion? The fear of harm lingered, urging him to stay silent, motionless.
As minutes stretched into an eternity, Jack's mind raced with questions. Why was he here? What kind of place was this, where creatures of myth walked among him? The uncertainty pressed down on him.
"That's true, Loki!" Eric muttered to himself, a sense of unease gripping him. He instinctively touched his neck, half-expecting to find puncture wounds, evidence of his encounter with the vampire.
However, relief washed over him as he discovered his neck unmarred. A new concern seized his thoughts – Sophie and the baby. Panic fueled his movements as he realized he had momentarily forgotten about their well-being.
Mid-air, caught between conflicting thoughts, Eric made a decision. Sophie and the baby were his priority; he needed to find them and ensure their safety. Regaining his footing, he resolved to escape this crazy place immediately.
His path, however, was abruptly blocked by a silver-haired man with striking green eyes. As Eeic assessed him, the man's presence seemed different from the others – no crimson gaze, no supernatural aura.
The realization brought a measure of relief to Eric, who hoped this man might have answers to his current predicament.
Inquiring about the man's identity, Eric was met with a calm response, "My name is Festus." The brief exchange raised more questions than answers, prompting Eric to ask about his location.
"Where am I?" Eric questioned, urgency lacing his words.
- Writer
