NOVEL WEB Chapter 144: The Warning
"Is this the real you?" I asked, my lips twitching. "You have split personalities. I hope you're aware of that… you let it slip earlier when you ignored my question. The other would have been the big sister she was trying to be and answered it for me… but you let it slip."
"I'm fully aware," She replied, her voice so cold you'd think an icy wind blew by me.
"I know a few kids who went through that jar and developed split personalities because of how traumatizing it was… but, now that I think about it, you must be the protector. The one that was created to escape from that traumatizing situation."
She didn't say anything but sank further into the couch around her. Her eyes almost seemed to unfocus and she zoned out for quite some time. I didn't disturb her, but after a few more minutes she finally moved and her eyes widened.
"Ugh… my head."
"Are you aware?"
"Huh? What?" Seber asked, dazed and confused.
"Are you aware that you have split personalities?" I asked once more, but this time to a completely different person.
Her eyes twitched and her hand lifted off her face as the throbbing subsided. "Yeah… I guess. I don't talk to them much. They mostly take me whenever they want."
So there's more…
…
(Seber POV)
As I step out of my small house nestled right beside the cove in this seaside town, I can't help but sense an eerie unease that lingers in the salty breeze. The tranquility of the crystal-clear summer waters in the cove clashes with the disquiet that shrouds the town.
The beach, though picturesque with its golden sands and azure waves, seems devoid of life. The usual laughter and joy that should accompany a coastal community in the height of summer are conspicuously absent. Gulls wheel overhead, their cries carrying a mournful tone that makes my skin prickle.
The town itself feels like a ghost town. Abandoned shops line the cobblestone streets, their windows clouded with a layer of salt as if they haven't seen a customer in years. Faded paint peels off the walls of the seaside cottages, giving them a dilapidated and forlorn appearance.
The air is heavy with an odd stillness, broken only by the distant sound of the ocean's waves crashing against the shore. But it's not the soothing sound I expected. Instead, it carries a mournful wail, as if the sea itself mourns the absence of life in this forsaken town.
I take a few steps towards the cove, the inviting clear waters stretching out before me. Yet, I can't help but hesitate. The unease in the air clings to me like a shroud. The town's eerie silence and the unsettling beauty of the untouched beach seem to conceal a secret, a story waiting to be unraveled, and I can't shake the feeling that I might not want to discover it.
Despite the eerie atmosphere that surrounds this seaside town, I find myself irresistibly drawn to the crystal-clear waters of the cove. The temptation of a dip in the eerily warm water proves too strong to resist. The early morning sun, casting long shadows over the deserted beach, plays tricks with the mind, creating an otherworldly aura.
As I step onto the pristine sands, they yield beneath my feet, almost like a living entity, welcoming me with an unsettling embrace. The warmth of the sand contrasts starkly with the cool morning air, creating a sensation that feels out of place. The world should be crisp and cold at this hour, but the water's warmth defies all expectations.
With each step I take, I can feel the eerie sensation intensify. The sea, appearing so inviting, feels like a portal into an alternate reality. I can't resist the urge any longer and wade into the water. It's as if the ocean itself conspires to beckon me deeper into its depths.
The water, normally frigid during these early hours, envelopes me like a warm embrace. It's a comforting warmth, yet it sends a shiver down my spine. The juxtaposition of the warm water against the chilly morning air heightens the sense of unease that has clung to me since I first stepped outside my house.
Despite the surreal circumstances, I continue to wade further into the cove, my senses tingling with the incongruity of it all. The water's warmth should feel inviting, but in this context, it only deepens the sense that I've stumbled upon something otherworldly and unsettling.
I continue wading into the cove, the unusual warmth of the water both enchanting and unnerving. As I venture further from the shore, my heart quickens with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. The cove's bottom slopes away sharply, and I find myself descending into a large drop in the water.
The sudden change in depth takes me by surprise, and I'm momentarily disoriented. The world above, with its quiet and unsettling town, recedes as I plummet into the abyss. The water darkens, and my surroundings transform into an eerie, beautiful underwater expanse.
The sight that greets me is mesmerizing. A coral garden stretches out beneath me, its colors vivid and otherworldly. Exotic fish dart between the intricate coral formations, creating a living tapestry of motion. Sunlight filters down in dappled patterns, casting an ethereal glow over the hidden world.
But what truly captures my attention, and chills me to the bone, are the mermen. They hover among the corals, their bodies eerily still, like statues frozen in time. Their eyes, wide and unblinking, lock onto me with an unyielding gaze.
The mermen's features are hauntingly beautiful, their hair flowing like seaweed, and their tails shimmering in the gentle current. They appear human, yet somehow otherworldly, and the unnatural stillness of their forms adds to the sense of unease that pervades this underwater realm.
I try to speak, to reach out to them, but my voice is lost in the depths, and my movements feel sluggish as if I'm weighed down by an unseen force. The mermen remain unmoving, their stares fixed upon me, as if they are the guardians of this enigmatic domain. Read exclusive content at empire
It's as if time itself has stood still in this underwater world, and the mermen are the silent sentinels, bearing witness to my intrusion. The beauty and stillness of the scene are enchanting, yet the disquieting realization that these beings defy the laws of nature gnaws at my soul, leaving me with an unsettling sense of wonder and dread.
I blinked, my heart pounding as I took in the surreal underwater world, and for a moment, I was alone in the silence of the deep. But then, in the span of an eye's flicker, the mermen were no longer distant figures hovering among the corals.
Suddenly, they materialized right in front of me, their eerie stillness undisturbed, their eyes piercing my very soul. My heart raced as I realized that they were now so close that I could almost reach out and touch them.
The mermen's long, sinuous tails brushed against me, and the tips of their spears grazed my skin, their deadly edges like an icy caress. My heart threatened to burst from my chest, and the world seemed to hold its breath in the face of this inexplicable intrusion.
It was as though they had crossed the boundary between time and space, appearing beside me in an instant without the slightest hint of motion. I felt their cold, unyielding presence, yet they remained locked in the same statuesque, eerie stillness as before, as if they were guardians of some secret realm, forever poised to protect it.
"You cannot fool the prince," One of them spoke, sending shivers down my spine.
"One of you his planning on taking his soul. Beware, for the day you lose control of those others inside of you, we will take your life… no matter what it takes."
"That is our order."
"Our only order."
"You cannot run."
"You cannot hide."
"So control yourself… foolish mortal."
…
"*gasp*... huff… huff… it was a nightmare… a nightmare…" I huffed.
I gasped as I awoke, my body jolting upright in the stark reality of my small seaside house. The cove outside my window was bathed in the soft light of dawn, and the world I had just experienced felt like a distant memory, fading rapidly as consciousness returned.
The beauty of the coral garden and the eerie stillness of the mermen were no more than a dream, a vivid and haunting reverie that now dissolved like mist in the morning sun. The sensation of the warm ocean water and the cold touch of the mermen's spears were just echoes of a fantastical world that had never truly existed.
As I tried to steady my racing heart, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of relief mixed with disappointment. The eerie unease of the seaside town, the underwater enchantment, and the mermen's enigmatic presence all faded away, leaving me in the simple, mundane reality of my small coastal dwelling.
I took a deep breath, struggling to shake off the remnants of the dream, and reminded myself that the eerily warm water and the frozen mermen had been no more than the creations of my sleeping mind. The town outside, with its quiet, unchanged beauty, was my only true reality. And yet, the vividness of the dream lingered, haunting me like a distant, half-forgotten memory, a dream that felt far too real for comfort.
"You good?" Cyrus asked and I just gave him a simple nod.