Talent Awakening: I Awakened With The Rewind System

Carefully skirting past the gargoyle, I dared to inch further to the left, just a few feet away from the Erantaxes.

Their cold breath rolled over me in waves, each exhalation carrying a faint, unnatural chill. The air seemed to warp and twist with every breath I took,

"Huff-Ha-Huff-."

An ominous rythm that tightened the knot of dread coiling around my chest.

Tok-

Those eerie, white, unblinking eyes bore into the void, their emptiness far more terrifying than if they had locked onto me.

For a fleeting moment, paralysing fear gripped me,

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

Sinking its claws deep into my resolve. It told of my insignificance, of how one wrong move could spell the end.

My end.

Ba-dump!

My mind trembled, each step,

Tok-

Tok-

A battle against the instincts screaming at me to flee.

Drip!

Drip!

A bead of sweat rolled down my temple, trailing an icy path across my skin.

But,

Tok-

I shoved the fear down.

Tok-

Caging it with but sheer force of will. I had no choice- my survival rested on my ability to remain composed.

Tok-

And,

Ba-dump!

It seemed I was rather fortunate. The Erantaxes remained oblivious to my presence, their attention elsewhere- or perhaps I simply lacked whatever they sought.

Not that I could afford to dwell on it; the last time I tried to remember, the attempt nearly cost me more than I was willing to lose.

Tok-

More than I was willing to bear.

I would uncover the truth someday- just not today.

With a shuddering breath.

I gazed at the door that loomed before me, its surface dark and unwelcoming. As I reached for it,

Ba-dump!

A sudden shift in the air wrapped around me like an unseen predator, its presence suffocating and quiet.

My breath hitched,

Ba-dump!

And cold panic surged through me.

Spinning around, I frantically scanned my surroundings.

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

The gargoyle stood frozen in its original position, lifeless yet menacing. The Erantaxes remained still, their grotesque forms unperturbed.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking this..."

Closing my eyes, I exhaled sharply, forcing the unease to recede.

With a trembling hand, I pushed the door open,

Ba-dump!

Fully unaware of what the inside might have in store for me.

CREAAAK!!

The grating sound echoed like a hollow scream, sending shivers racing down my spine. The oppressive quiet thickened as I stepped inside, sealing the door behind me with a soft click.

Ba-dump!

Leaning against it, I paused to collect myself. My eyes darted around the room, adjustung to the suffocating darkness.

"Huff-Huh."

Shadows danced across the ruined walls, their forms but grotesque and otherworldly.

Ahead of me, a spiralling staircase emerges from the gloim, its steps cloaked in an unnatural silence.

A stifling silence.

Ba-dump!

The air felt heavier here,

"Huff-Hah.-"

Pressing down on me with every breath.

Tok-

Step by,

Tok-

Step, I approached the staircase.

Tok-

Dread coiled tighter with each movement,

Ba-dump!

A sinister echo warning me to turn back!

Yet,

Tok-

When my foot finally met the first step, nothing happened.

"Huff."

Confusion mingled with relief as I climbed further.

Tok-

Second step.

Tok-

Third.

And,

Tok-

Before I knew it, I reached the top.

Behind me, the staircase seemed to dissolve into the darkness below, swallowed by an abyss that yawned open, revealing an unspeakable horror!

Ba-dump

Ba-dump!

My heart thundered in my ears.

Tentacles writhed from the void, their movements disturbingly fluid and alive. Eyes glimmered from the grotesque mass, darting erratically to their surroundings, while gaping maws opened and closed, releasing soundless screams that resonated in my bones.

Shudder-

I staggered back,

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

My heart pounding like a war drum.

The sight before me burned itself into my mind, a living nightmare etched into my soul. My body trembled, but I forced myself to look away. The monstrosity had waited until I ascended- intentionally or unintentionally, before revealing itself.

For that,

Wheew!

I was inexplicably grateful.

Badump!

"Huff-Hah.-"

The realization that I had survived strangely brought no comfort.

Ba-dump!

"Hu-ah.-"

Death had loomed so close.

-Too close.

Turning my gaze forward, I surveyed the room. Broken cobblestones littered the floor, ruined beams stretched across the ceiling, and shattered windows framed the crumbling remains of what was once a grand structure.

Through one of the fractured windows, I saw it: the house I was heading for.

Its spire pierced the heavens, a crooked tower that seemed to twist and writhe like a living serpent. Shadows clung to its edges, an oppressive presence in the stifling silence.

And then-,

Ba-dump!

A flicker of hope stirred within me.

But,

"Huff-."

Between me and that cursed house lay a vast chasm. A single beam stretched across the gap, its surface narrow and broken.

The distance itself was daunting- impossible for anyone but the most desperate.

And I was desperate.

Clenching my fists.

Ba-dump!

I quelled the fear threatening to consume me. My thoughts stilled as I hummed a soft melody, grounding myself in its fragile familiarity.

"Ufff.-"

I focused my Arcana, anchoring my resolve with sheer belief.

I can do this. I have no choice.

Shudder-

With a deep breath, I dashed onto the beam.

Creak!

It creaked beneath my weight, but it held, surprisingly sturdy despite its frail appearance.

Tok-

I ran.

Whoosh-

The wind howled around me, a stifling presence in the oppressive quiet. My heart thundered in my chest as I approached the end of the beam.

And then-,

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

I leaped.

Whoosh!

For a moment, I hung suspended in the air, the abyss yawning open below. Fear clawed at me, but I clung to my belief like a lifeline.

Crash!

I crashed through the window,

Shatter-

Shards of glass raining down as I tumbled across the floor.

Baaaaaanggg!

Pain exploded through my body as I collided with the walls, debris and broken cobblestones.

Crash!

Crash!

BAAANG!

When I finally came to a stop, my body screamed in agony.

Drip!

Drip!

Blood trickled from my lips, the metallic taste flooding my mouth. Darkness threatened to overtake me, but I bit down hard, forcing myself to remain conscious.

Through the haze of pain, I saw it: a stained window with faint markings etched in an ancient language.

A weak, bitter smile tugged at my lips.

I had made it.

"Huuuf.-"

But,

Ba-dump!

This was but the beginning.

With a sharp exhalation, I pushed myself forward, each step echoing my will!

This journey-

Tok-

This life of mine.

Tok-

I will see it to the end.