Dunamis cried out as the shadows engulfed him, dragging him deeper into their cold embrace. It didn't matter how much he struggled, the darkness just wrapped tighter around him. Hands formed out of the inky substance, clawing and dragging at his limbs.
Please! Let me go!
This fate has already been decided by the heavens. It cannot be escaped!
He screamed as the shadows reached for his throat.
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
Dunamis awoke with a start, the cries still dying in his throat. He sat up quickly, disentangling himself from the blankets that had been twisted around him as he had tossed and turned. He clutched at his heaving chest as he struggled to calm himself.
It was just a nightmare.
As his breathing slowed and his heart stopped racing, he found himself staring around, bewildered at his surroundings. He was sitting in a bed with plain white sheets and short railings running along the sides. The room's walls were painted a light gray, and the floor was laid with dull bronze tiles. Two small tables, one on either side of the bed, were bare except for a small vase of wilting flowers. The room's light blue curtains were open, exposing the wide glass window. Outside, the dreary gray sky was pierced by soaring skyscrapers and the sounds of traffic filtered in dimly from the busy car-filled streets.
Where am I?
The first time he had left the temple had been when he was under the control of the curse. When he had been released, he had been thrown into a confusing new world full of bustling people and unfamiliar machines. But due to the threat of Nemesis, he hadn't been able to do more than marvel at the modern era. He had been too busy battling and worrying about the end of the world.
I think that I'm back in the city that Gingka and his friends live in. But why am I here? I remember them arriving at the temple, but after that there's only a hazy fog.
Dunamis rubbed at his sore neck, wincing slightly. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to get up.
Cursed child, you will only bring even more pain and despair to those around you.
What?! Dunamis stiffened, one hand buried in his lavender hair.
At that moment, the door swung open, revealing a young woman. Her curly auburn hair was pulled back in a long ponytail, and her green eyes were fixed on the clipboard she was writing on. She was dressed in a nurse's uniform. The woman looked up, eyes widening when she saw that Dunamis was awake.
"Oh, you're finally awake! How are you feeling, Dunamis-kun?" She asked, striding forward to check the chart clipped to the bed's frame.
"I feel fine. Where am I, and why am I here?" He asked, still confused at the voice's cryptic words.
What did it mean? I'll bring even more pain and despair?
The nurse hummed quietly as she read the chart, writing something on it with her pen as she flipped through her papers.
"Your friends brought you here to the hospital in a helicopter. I don't know all the details, but the doctor thinks you could be mentally traumatized or unstable." The woman glanced over sympathetically at Dunamis's shocked expression. She finished writing and turned to leave.
"I'll be right back with the doctor. Don't go anywhere, alright?" She called over her shoulder, already halfway through the doorway. The door snapped shut, leaving Dunamis alone with only his thoughts and the whispers.
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
He flinched as dark cloth flashed at the edge of his vision.
Not again...
The day before Gingka's visit, he'd been plagued by glimpses of movement or snatches of black cloth in the corners of his vision. But every time he turned to look, no one had been there. Then, that night, he had seen the mirror image of himself leaning against the temple wall, wearing dark robes and a smug smirk. The next day, it had followed him around, hissing scathing remarks and insults. It had looked so real, as if it really had been there, but Titi hadn't been able to see it. By the time Gingka and his friends had arrived, Dunamis had been having difficulty ignoring it.
I still can't remember what happened when Gingka visited.
The Jupiter blader bit his lip, frustrated at being unable to recall that night. Somehow, he felt that something terrible had happened.
Do you really believe you can avoid your fate?
It was standing by the door, eyes as sharp and cruel as daggers. The curse walked towards him, its footsteps silent. Despite the room's harsh fluorescent lights, it didn't have a shadow.
It leaned close, one hand falling on his shoulder, but Dunamis didn't feel any touch or the slightest pressure. The guardian shivered as his copy's freezing breath ghosted past his ear.
"You are already drowning. You cannot escape this curse", it hissed.
"You aren't real. You're nothing more than a figment of my imagination, an illusion!" Dunamis snarled back, his own hand flying up to tear its hand away.
The curse pulled its hand back as if burned, mouth curling in a condescending sneer. It stood, arms hanging limply at its sides. Its hair was covering its eyes, hiding their icy depths as it began to laugh.
"Not real? An illusion?" It lifted its head, eyes gleaming and teeth bared. "I'm as real as you'll ever be!"
Dunamis gripped his head, eyes screwing shut and gasps ripping from his throat, as his skull suddenly exploded in pain. He gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open.
The curse took a step towards him, the sound of the footfall echoing through the oddly silent room. Its shadow was a deep, impenetrable black that writhed and squirmed, hands outstretched as if it were alive.
Dunamis shrank back as his copy neared him, eyes wild with fear. The curse smirked, one hand grabbing the front of his blue hospital shirt and pulling him closer. It used one cold finger to tilt the guardian's chin, forcing him to meet its darkly amused gaze.
"You cannot fight this fate." The copy's grip tightened threateningly. Dunamis stifled a whimper, biting his lip hard enough to taste the copper of blood on his tongue.
"This is a nightmare you'll never wake up from."
...~*~...~*~...~*~...
A/N: Apologies and free virtual egg tarts for all (or Oreo cookies if you don't like them)! Sorry, I had this sitting in my writing folder for a few days, but I kind of...forgot to post it. ^-^'
I hope the hospital parts were right. I've never been in an American hospital and examined its procedures and the room's details, let alone a Japanese one!