This is my imagined world, not taken from anywhere.
A captivating, luminous, dreamworld full of whispers shattered into dust in an instant. Vijay, in deep slumber, felt a strange, throbbing pain in his head. As if someone was hitting him hard with a rod... no, even more intensely, like a sharp object piercing his forehead and then twisting within!
Ah... In a daze, Vijay tried to turn, lift his head, and rise. But he couldn't move his limbs; it felt as if he had completely lost control over his body.
Seeing this, it seems I haven't woken up yet... What is this? Feels like I'm in some kind of lucid dream... What will the next scene be? I'll think I've opened my eyes, but in reality, I'll still be in deep sleep...
No stranger to such experiences, Vijay tried to concentrate all his attention, to cut through this darkness and confusion like severing knotted ropes.
But in this groggy state, any effort he could muster dissipated like smoke. It was even difficult to control his thoughts and introspect. However hard he tried, his focus scattered amidst random thoughts rising in his mind.
In the dead of this night, why such a brutal headache?
Was it even real pain?
Is my brain bleeding?
Now it feels like sleep is coming again.
With the throbbing pain, Vijay slowly but steadily gathered a mysterious strength within his body. Finally, he managed to straighten his back and open his eyes. He broke free from that stupor.
Placing his hands on the table, he searched for his wristwatch. But it wasn't there. He tried to stand slowly.
At first, his vision was blurry. Then, a dim, silvery-yellow hue spread before his eyes. Ahead, a door stood open.
Beyond that door was symmetry.
For a moment, am I in a crematorium now? Vijay was bewildered.
Nearby, two human forms lay completely charred.
With a sense of dread, he turned his gaze to the side.
Inside, there was a large candlestick-like lamp. Inside, a frosted glass; outside, a grid-like mesh made of black metal.
Beneath that lamp, lying crosswise, a black ink bottle was half-covered in the faint yellow light.
In front of the ink bottle, and to the right of the notebook, lay a black pen. Its tip glinted faintly.
A gun lay on the table beside it.
A gun? Vijay was utterly stunned. All the objects before him were alien. This looked nothing like his room! That crematorium...
The floor of the room was drawn with hexagon-like patterns.
Shocked and confused, he noticed: all were covered in a yellowish 'mask'. This was an effect of the light coming through the window.
Instinctively, he raised his head and slowly moved his gaze upwards.
In the sky, against a 'black screen' backdrop, two yellow full moons hung high, radiating a quiet light.
One large moon and one smaller moon.
This... filled Vijay with an inexplicable terror. He suddenly stood up. But before his legs could fully straighten, his brain protested again with throbbing pain. Temporarily weakened, he lost control and fell. His backside hit the heavy wooden chair hard.
Thud!
The pain was less. Vijay supported himself and stood up again. He looked around anxiously, trying to fully comprehend his surroundings.
The bed he had been lying on was burnt.
The room wasn't very large. On both side walls were brown doors. Against the opposite wall was a low wooden bed, with an inverted cross hanging above it.
Opposite the right-side door stood a mirror. It had two cracks. Its base was wood; the decoration was simple.
Sweeping his gaze, Vijay saw himself in the mirror—his current self.
Black hair, brown eyes, a cotton shirt, a thin frame, average features... but with a profoundly deep expression...
This... Vijay immediately took a deep breath. In his mind, many useless, confused speculations surged forth.
That ancient-style revolver, those yellow moons so completely different from Earth's moon,
the discarded bodies nearby—they could only mean one thing!
Ha-Have I... been abducted by aliens or Satans ? Transported to another world? Vijay's mouth fell slightly open.
Could this be the consequence of indulging in imagination? For a moment, Vijay cursed himself, even as he tried to figure out how to make the best of this bizarre situation.
If not for the persistent, throbbing headache keeping his thoughts sharp and clear, he might have suspected all of this to be a dream.
Stay calm, stay calm... After taking a few deep breaths, Vijay tried to stop panicking.
Just then, as his mind and body began to calm, memories surged like a flood, slowly taking shape in his mind!
Aditha Karikalan. Citizen of Neithal Kingdom, in the Northern Continent's Chendur County, Sikkal City. And, recently...
A recent graduate from the History Department of Seethakathi University...
His father, a sergeant in the military. A martyr during the colonial conflict with the Southern Continent. It was that compensation money that gave Aditha the chance to study in a private language school, also laying the foundation for university admission...
His mother, a devotee of the Goddess of moons (the Lunar deity). Passed away the very year Aditha passed the Seethakathi University entrance exam...
He had an elder brother and a younger sister. The three of them lived together in a two-bedroom apartment...
The family's status wasn't wealthy; it could be described as somewhat struggling. Currently, the elder brother's income as a clerk at an import-export firm supported the family...
As a history graduate, Aditha was proficient in the ancient Adi language—considered the root of all languages in the Northern Continent. He was also trained in the Samasi language—a language that frequently appears in ancient tombs and texts related to sacrifice and ritual worship...
The Samasi language? Vijay's mind stirred with excitement. Rubbing his throbbing forehead, he turned his gaze...
...to the words scrawled in blood on the wall. At first, they seemed bizarre, then foreign, then transformed into something vaguely familiar, finally becoming legible.
It was a text written in the Samasi language!
It read:
"This world is about to perish, Lucifer shall rule again."
Hiss! An indescribable fear gripped Vijay. He instinctively leaned back, trying to increase the distance between himself and that notebook, and the sentence upon it.
Being very weak,
He shook his head; he believed all this to be an illusion. Regaining his balance, Vijay averted his eyes from the notebook and let out a heavy sigh.
This time, his gaze fell upon the gleaming brass revolver. Suddenly, a question arose in his mind.
If Aditha's family situation was like this, how could they possibly have the money or means to buy a revolver?
Vijay frowned involuntarily.
Instinctively, Vijay turned over his right hand, which was gripping the table edge. Looking down, he saw the palm and fingers were scarred with burn marks.
At the same time, the throbbing pain in his head continued. Though somewhat reduced, it persisted incessantly.
Did I crack my own head?
As he guessed, Vijay turned and walked towards the mirror.
Then, around the bed he was on, there were signs of burning.
After a few steps, a figure with black hair, brown eyes, and a medium build appeared clearly before him. That person had the distinct appearance of a scholar.
Is this my current self? Aditha Karikalan?
Vijay stood stunned for a moment. As it was night, the light was insufficient, making it hard to see clearly. He moved closer, nearly bumping into the mirror.
Using the hazy light of the yellow full moons, he tilted his head slightly and examined the side of his forehead.
A clear reflection appeared in the mirror. On his forehead was a grotesque wound. Its surroundings were scarred with charring. Dried blood caked around the wound.