And I would be ready. Ready for any horrors headed my way...
***
Although I'd made my decision, and I intended to go on with it— not like I'd any other choice.
The thought of the horrors I'd encounter should I venture into the desolate landscape elicited within , a wave of fear.
Ba- thump! Ba- thump!
My heart hamred against my chest, and the sound echoed through the suffocating silence.
...And to make matters worse?
If I ever wanted, even the smallest of chances of escaping this cursed land, then I had no choice but to steel myself and venture into this "unexplored" region.
However, the fact that no regression of mine had ever brought here did nothing to comfort . If anything, it only served to further intensify the eerie discomfort and unease swiftly rising within .
After all, despite its many disadvantages— especially the prospect of visiting Kêlúthà, the other side—regression still had its perks.
Most notable of them all would be: Knowledge.
With the endless regressions, I had slowly pieced together the characteristics of the landscape I was previously trapped in. However, that was before I acquired the chaotic fla at the ruined temple, and... before being teleported to this even more bizarre, desolate region.
And now that I thought about it. I realized that there was really nothing much I could do about what I'd encounter. And... that was the cold truth.
For, even my endless regressions couldn't escape the cold, chilling grasp of fate.
And the most annoying thing was:
Apart from brooding and grimacing— which really did no good— there was nothing much I could do about it.
In simple terms, I was ignorant and clueless of the dangers and horrors I could encounter in this region. And that only further served to intensify the paranoia hidden within . Making it even more lethargic and... consuming.
"Huh..."
Letting out a slow heavy breath, I decided to drown out all thoughts and simply head back to my huddled spot.
I had to calm my mind.
'Yeah. That should help...'
I was about to take a step when.
Tick—!
A subtle, ticking sound echoed through the cold night.
For a second there, I froze, heart hamring.
And then,
Tick—!!
The ticking sound ca again. This ti louder.
And then, it ca.
"....!!"
'...W-what's that?'
Confusion marred my features as I took in the view of my surroundings.
"..."
'An eldritch horror?'
I mused under my breath.
After all, only an eldritch horror could sohow break into the supposedly impregnable dune structure. However, the thought marred my face with a grim expression, fear rapidly creeping in.
But on closer inspections, my surroundings were eerily quiet and silent, giving off the illusion of absolute safety.
Yet.
Thump... Thump...
I knew better than to revel in it.
In that instant, I snapped shut my eyes, trying to detect the eldritch horror. However, seconds stretched by in total silence and I found... nothing. For once, the grim nature of the cursed land didn't bare its fangs at .
'Perhaps it was just a hallucination,' I thought, trying to convince myself. But I knew better than to believe that.
And the longer I stood in the silence, the more uncomfortable it beca.
Finally, left with no other choice.
"Huh..."
I closed my eyes once again. And just as I expected, the ticking sound ca again but this ti around, I cald my rapidly beating heart and tried to listen.
~~~!
It was rather difficult and the thought of being suddenly attacked did nothing to calm down, but I was left with any other choice. To figure out what was happening, I had to first figure out where the sound was coming from.
And so far so good, making use of my sight brought no substantial... result. Hence, I was left with no other choice but to make use of my ears.
Tick—!
Step—!
Seconds stretched into minutes as I listened attentively, and walked through the endless darkness, trying to ascertain the object or being emitting the sound wave.
Tap—! Tap—!
My steps echoed through the darkness, a suffocating pressure pressing on from all sides.
Slowly, before I realized it, my steps began to mix with the spine-chilling ticking sound in an unnatural, grotesque manner.
Step—! Step—!
Every single second in the endless darkness deepened the grim look on my face. And to make matters worse.
The chilling wind crawling their way into my pores did nothing to help out either.
And every other second, I'd shudder, brace myself, and keep moving forward.
Given the vast expanse of the Dune Structure, I expected difficulty in locating the ticking sound— but that didn't make it any less unsettling. If anything, I bordered on the fringe of discomfort and... apprehensiveness.
"...."
Slowly, the sound beca louder, and although subtle to the normal human ear, I could still sowhat hear it. And at that, very clearly.
Right now, it felt deafening to my ears, sending a rush of blood through my skull.
'Almost there... Ukh-!'
Step—!
I forced through the haze, and with a stifled groan, took another step forward.
"Huh... huh..."
I stood on the spot, breathing heavily as I tried to shake off the pain still coursing through .
Having arrived at the spot, I finally opened my eyes in what I deed, a soothing relief.
"...."
My eyes slowly fluttered open, and the sight before only further served to deepen my... unease.
The word etched onto what seed like a door... a portal perhaps— except that this portal was made of an endless expanse of darkness— was sothing I'd seen before.
Where? I couldn't say. But I was sure I'd seen the word... or rather, the na, sowhere in the past.
'Nyarlath.'
Although I wasn't sure if it was one, I knew better than to call upon the na of an eldritch horror.
Hence, I muttered it inwardly. However, even that had its risk. In that, it could be used as a source of connection to induce maddening upon . Or even... instant death.
"Huh..."
Letting out a mouthful of air, I tried to calm down. Tried to breathe...
Right now, I could only hope this creature or whatever it was wasn't strong enough to achieve said effect. I could only pray so...
Calming my rapidly beating heart, I tried to assess my current situation.
If I was correct, then this door should be a portal, just like the one I ca across in the temple. If so... it should be able to send to another region.
Perhaps, a region even safer than this desolate, ruined landscape. But, at the sa ti, it also carried with it the risk of being sent into an even more bizarre region.
And that was honestly, a risk I couldn't afford to take.
But then—
My gaze shifted to the na.
'Nyarlath...'
It couldn't have been etched onto the door for no reason, right? There had to be a reason for it to have been etched onto the door.
Perhaps it was to inform anyone seeing it, of sothing, or perhaps... to warn them of soone.
Either of the two seed plausible.
"..."
It could even be the two.
However, l didn't have enough clues to arrive at a logical conclusion.
"Huff..."
Letting out a light breath, I stood in total silence, basking in the soft, eerie glow casted by the door before . And the longer I stood before the unsettling glow, the creepier it got.
Right before my eyes, it seed to morph and shift into nurous faces. Faces contorting, twisting and screaming in unending agonizing pain.
And as I stood before the creeping darkness, a thought slowly began to take root within .
'...Perhaps...just perhaps, I can learn more about this world's past in the next region. And perhaps through that... my forgotten mories.'
The thought crept into my mind, over and over again, and each ti it did, the urge to take that final step beca even more alluring.
And eventually, I exhaled shakily, hoping this decision wouldn't break .
'Yet I had a feeling it would. Very much so.'
Nevertheless, I steeled myself and then.
Step—!
I took a sharp step into the door, phasing through it as an endless darkness materialized around , and before I knew what was going on—
It swallowed whole.
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