It's hot. In an intense darkness my body burns with incredible pain. This is all I can remember, laying on the ground - ears blaring, fingers tensing, legs and abdomen contracting in what seems to be void. There is no time. No space. Only me. Burning.

Then, a dazzling light. From behind me, a cold palm rests on my shoulder blade. The chilling sensation is a gentle breeze, and the calmness of this hand rushes through my veins, vanquishing the flames.

"Sarah." A voice. The sound is muffled by my still ringing ears. "Sarah?" it asks. The voice is deep and comforting, yet still nearly indistinguishable. I roll over to face the sound. "Hey... Sarah?" From the bright light, an outline of a man begins to appear. I can't distinguish any features. He is shrouded, crouched by my side, and speaking to me again with a hushed bass. "It's alright Sarah. You can relax." The words flow freely through my body, each syllable of the declaration acting as a command. My body finally exhales, and before I know it, I fall peacefully into darkness again. Falling faster... faster, faster-

"Shi-...!" My eyes spring open. I'm awake and sitting upright. My heart is racing, and I'm nearly hyperventilating. Taking a moment to calm down, I look around, but there is nothing but a vast white expanse. Dazed, I mumble to myself, "Where am I?"

"Here!"

Shocked, I jolt backward and let out an "Eep!" at the immediate and chipper response. It sounded like it came from in front me, but there is still only white space. Anxiously, I ask, "Where are you?"

A tall shrouded figure, like the one before, slowly emerges from a white haze. This time he appears about a meter in front of me. Moving a few steps forward, he calmly asks "How are you, Sarah?"

Confused, I sputter, "Is... m-... Am I Sarah?" The figure warmly nods as if he expected the question, and after a beat, he reaches out to help me up. Autonomously, my hand meets his in a firm yet gentle clasp, and he pulls me to my feet.

"Well it's good to see you on your feet," The figure commented. Before I can conjure a thought, he continues, "I suppose you might have a few questions." I want to nod, but I end up staring blankly. From two heads above me, the figure seems to be looking for a response. The features of his face and body are still impossible to see, but he carries on, "Well, Sarah, don't worry. You can't be hurt by anything around you here. Just take a look."

In the crisp silence following his words, I notice the cool and comfortable embrace of the white realm. The space seems to go on for miles, and the white backdrop, itself, gives a refined and controlled brilliance, not too bright, yet still shimmering with its graceful and quiet beauty. I take a conscious breath of relief while reflecting on the figure's words. After a minute of observation in this tranquility, I gather enough to say, "There really isn't anything here, anyway, is there?"

The figure chuckles and replies "Right. Enjoy this peace. It won't be around for long. We've got work to do."

Worried, I ask, "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"You'll see. Just... don't worry."

"What?" In moments, shadows start emerging from the white space like holes in fabric. "What are those?" I ask.

Plainly, the figure says, "Don't worry, they are just part of your Purgatory."

"This is WHAT?" I cry.

The figure has no response. I start to feel a burning sensation again as the shadows grow darker, faster, and closer. A slow crescendo of magma begins in my ears, and the vast world continues shrinking around me. The figure, trying to coax me starts repeating, "Everything is alright. Just breathe, Sarah." The air's old clarity clots into a viscous fluid, and the shadows set my throat ablaze.

Gasping for air I try to yell, "What's happening?"

The figure, still holding my hand firmly, keeps going, "None of these things can hurt you. This is your Purgatory." I grip harder, falling to my knees, my mind succumbing to mania. Shadows continue appearing, now blocking out the light, and at this point, I would do anything for that spacious white sanctuary of moments ago. He continues, "It's for you to have that place, so ple-." The rest of his words are muted by the screaming primordial humidity of fear and my rushing I shut my eyes to the wall of asphyxiating calamity until all that is left is the deep red darkness of my own eyelids and the figure's hand that I so desperately clench.

"Sarah. It's okay, Sarah." A soft light. "Open your eyes. Nothing around you can hurt you here.

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This is my very first attempt at a fanfic, so feedback is greatly appreciated!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for reading :D
Updates will be posted at least once a week ;O