This was a wish born from complete ignorance of the sheer impossibilities of the world.
-
I first encountered the world of unusual phenona and demon hunters twenty years ago.
Back then, I was young and fervently curious about the mysterious events detailed earnestly in obscure books. Phenona such as ghost ships whose crews mysteriously vanished, hellish sounds heard from the world’s deepest borehole, or strange occurrences like ghostly knockings, eerie photographs, doppelgängers, and more—I had an interest in these supernatural tales that surpassed all others, ever since I could rember.
These experiences, inexplicable by any common knowledge, completely surpassed my life and experience, stirring fear and fascination within . I often imagined how I would react if I truly encountered such events, and whether I could be as clever and courageous as the characters in those stories, or perhaps even gain powwers beyond the real upon solving those mysteries.
Likewise, I took pleasure in taphysical and spiritual knowledge—ditation, Spirit Communication, exorcism, Divination... There was a ti when I secretly practiced these things behind my friends’ and family’s backs, as though I truly believed in them.
If my friends and family knew what I was doing, they probably would have thought I really believed it. Of course, I did not truly believe; I rely wished that these things could make believe. It was these very practices that freed my spirit temporarily from the tedium of studying and work, transporting to a magical realm of fantasy. As ti passed, I beca increasingly obsessed—to the point of fanaticism.
However, such good tis don’t last forever. When one truly obsesses over sothing, traces of it inevitably show in their life. Once my secret was discovered by my family and friends, they cast strange glances my way, treating as an eccentric and gossiping about behind my back.
In reality, I never considered myself different from others. If I were to openly share my innermost thoughts, not all, but certainly the majority could resonate. The desire to break free from reality’s gravity, venture into an unbelievable dinsion, and experience thrilling encounters and adventures—a dream countless people have during their youth. Even those who mock fantasies and pride themselves on their realism surely hold so secret hope that elents of those fantasies are real. I was simply more honest with my desires and indulged in this dream longer than those around .
After graduating from university, I didn’t give up on these interests and even found so like-minded new friends. External criticisms sotis don’t deter people from their passions; they can instead strengthen their resolve and solidarity. We used our spare ti and vacations to investigate urban legends and clues of supernatural power, sharing the leads and failures we discovered in the process.
Then, one day, I encountered the supernatural event I had always longed for.
In a haunted, deserted dead end that no one cared for, I stepped in with a few friends from an offline etup, with a casual "let’s just have a look" ntality. Yet, this seemingly insignificant exploration among many failed attempts hid a genuine evil spirit.
At first, we reached the end of the dead end and found nothing. The anomaly occurred on the way back. Chatting and laughing, we slowly realized that no matter how long we walked, we couldn’t see the entrance to the alley we had co from. By the ti we realized sothing was off, it was too late.
In a state of panic, we searched for a way out, but my companions disappeared one after another. The bustle from the streets outside the alley faded away until it vanished completely. The neon city lights and stars above extinguished without notice. The dead end gradually transford into a Devil Realm, isolated from civilization.
When I snapped back to my senses, filled with dark and terrifying thoughts, all my companions were gone, and I was left alone in this eerie dead end.
This place really was haunted!
In extre panic, I broke into a run towards the exit.
But no matter how long I ran, it was as if I were running in place. The dead end, supposed to be a straight path, now seed to be a Möbius strip, and I was the ant running futilely on its surface.
Even the high walls on either side presented incomprehensible changes. I tried to escape the alley by climbing the wall, but setting aside my lack of climbing experience, whenever I used all my wits to climb high enough, the height of the wall visibly increased.
I had no choice but to return to the ground, trying again to move towards the exit. However, I no longer harbored any hope for my efforts.
Ti flowed by, second by second, minute by minute. After an unknown number of hours, the alley remained in a horrific night, and thirst and hunger began to erge.
I don’t know how much ti passed, maybe a day or two, intense hunger and thirst finally hit an unbearable peak.
It was unclear whether my physical strength or morale dried up first, but I could no longer walk. The prolonged anxiety and panic numbed my spirit thoroughly, like a piece of at that had lost all elasticity.
After a long numbness, I finally broke down and cried out in despair in the dead end that seed to have no end.
Reviews
All reviews (0)