A concept that I cannot grasp, a place which seems so real but fake, I looked around and all I could see was greyness etched onto the very fibre of this peculiar location.
A figure of a boy emerged although his face was hidden from eyes as if someone had scribbled all over it. "Oh good, you can finally see me?"
He appeared to be human but not human at the same time. It's like I can't put it into words, but the most vivid description I can give is it felt like a dream and I was conscious that it perhaps might be a dream, rendering everything fictitious in my mind.
I managed to get myself up from the laying position which I had been in the whole time. "Who are you?" I asked with intrigue and puzzlement.
The figure walked around and hummed to himself. "We have been in due for a long-awaited chat."
Chat? Am I going through a fever dream or a trip, either way this just feels strange and uncanny, I mean a boy without a face and a grey place, this is an image straight out of a horror movie, I tried to pinch myself again and again to his amusement, but nothing worked, it was clear to me that I was not dreaming, but I wasn't in the real world either, for the first time I had completely no idea where I was.
He crouched down and smiled at me. "It looks like you're going through a bad time comprehending this." The boy turned back to a nonchalant appearance. "You know, next time you shouldn't piss off that old hag, she really did a number on you, tried to turn your insides to acid and everything."
It never crossed my mind, was this death, was I finally being put to rest. Am I travelling to the afterlife? All these questions hadn't dawned upon me but now they came in rushing like a tide. The helplessness of not knowing what was beyond this place began to shake me, but deep down I started to accept it, death is inevitable and it's good to know that I hadn't cheated in some way.
"You moron what you're thinking is totally wrong, this isn't the afterlife at all!" Laughter came from him in waves. "Look at you, you were totally going to give up."
Give up? Is this what he thinks this is. "I lived a life before this, and I'm with people who only are beginning to experience their first, do you know how lonely it is, it's like looking from outside."
"Boohoo! Get over yourself, there's people who have it way worse than you, this is your second chance remember? Go out there and grab it!"
I could sense the hint of sarcasm towards the end, in fact everything he just said sounded condescending, what is this thing or guy playing at? This isn't the afterlife but like I established before this isn't the real world or a dream either, so what the hell is it?
No longer could I just stand there with no substantial questions. "Hey, what is this place!" I shouted.
He sneered and looked at me with a glint of irritation. "Quit asking me questions you know the answer to."
What in the world is he rambling on about? I mean the guy most likely summoned me here and then he has the nerve to tell me what I know. Could this all just be a sick and twisted game just for his little satisfaction, that would most certainly make sense, however I don't sense any malice from him at all, this is more than strange now, and if I know the "answer." Then why is nothing springing to mind?
"Can you stop being vague for a second and tell me what the hell is happening?" I demanded.
He shrugged and puffed with annoyance. "Okay, so it seems that you are subconsciously blocking out detail..." The boy started to grab his chin and crouched down once again. "This is your mind and I'm inside of it, so you're not dead."
I was still full of questions so persisted on. "How am I still alive if that witch tried to liquify me and what do you mean she looked in her early twenties."
He stared deeply into my eyes, evoking a sense of tension within me. "First of all, I saved you by cancelling out her mana, so I deserve a thank you and lastly beneath that mana age cloaking spell she's using with her mana her whole body is a rotting corpse including the face."
He saved my life? Just who is he, and what does he mean cancelling out mana, this is all too much to handle... So, that woman I was right about her she seemed shady, but that look she had on her face when she lashed out on me, it was clear that she was frightened beyond belief, her fight and flight mode activated on such a high degree.
The boy began pacing around my mind, the silence was practically deafening and I couldn't keep the questions within me contained. "I have a lot to ask and this is the most important one, who are you?"
From what I gathered, this is all in my head meaning that I can probably control anything inside of here, I don't really understand any of this but I do know one thing and that whatever is happening right now is directly linked with me.
The boy looked at me with confusion which shifted to a gleaming smile. "By the way, I can hear what's inside of that head of yours, get it because we are literally inside of your head?"
Looks like he has no sense of humor, is cracking a decently good joke too much for people? "I asked you a question and this is my mind, so answer it." I said assertively.
"Oh... My? You are quite the aggressive one, however you already know everything, and besides even if I did tell you, after you gain consciousness, you will block it out again."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He got up from his crouching position and turned his back to me. "This isn't the first time we met, if you were under the assumption from my greeting beforehand, you are mistaken, we have spoken a total of 10 times now."
As soon as that revelation came out of his mouth, everything began to fade, I was no longer able to see that place, at first I could only see the absence of light, but then I could make out the ceiling of my room, I looked to my side and saw Darius unconscious on a chair he had been sitting on.
There was no sense of time for me, times like these are where I miss smart phones, but I could see the moon outside so judging by that it's either late at night or early in the morning, either way it's good to be back on the comfort of my own bed, how I missed this shallow excuse for a pillow and the hard comfort layers made out of oak.
I made out the faint sound of rustling, tears of joy began rolling down Darius's eyes. "Thank God, you're alive, Lucius." he said with a quavering voice.