Page 69 of Presence

I sit up, brushing dirt and leaves off my body. The sky, a relentless slate gray, hasn’t shifted, but something in the air has changed. It’s thicker, charged with a subtle electricity that makes the hairs on my arms stand on end.

I look around, expecting to find something—anything—that might explain this shift, but there’s nothing. Just the endless expanse of the same dull sky, the cold, hard ground, and the constant hum of the waterfall.

This isn’t the real world. I’m still n the dreamscape. How the hell is that even possible?

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flicker of movement—a shadow darting between the trees. My heart skips a beat.

“Echo?” I call out, my voice still hoarse. No answer. The forest remains still, my words swallowed by the heavy air. Of course, there’s no reply. Echo’s signature move is to make me feel powerless, knowing how much I despise it.

I push myself up, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through my body. My skin is a patchwork of red and purple bruises. I trace my fingers over where deep, bloodied slashes had marred my flesh. But the cuts are gone.

Huh?

Frowning, I run my fingers over smooth patches of new skin, rough and unscarred. I press gently, half-expecting the pain to return, but there’s nothing. Just the strange texture of fresh healing. Speed healing? That’s new.

Weird regret squeezes my chest. I can’t explain it. It’s against everything I want—being injured—but I feel it anyway. Unable to decipher it, I just ignore it and look around again.

I need to find Echo and discuss our deal. I’m not sure what I want from him yet, but starting the conversation is better than doing nothing.

Taking a deep breath, I decide to explore along the riverbank. Maybe there’s a clue about how to leave this place, or at least how to find him. Gritting my teeth, I grab the nearby rocks and start climbing up the waterfall.

The water sprays against my face, making me blink rapidly, but I press forward, determined not to retreat into the forest. The trees rustle above, the bushes whisper behind, and beneath the waterfall’s roar, I swear I sense something else stirring. I glance back, a mistake that leaves me dizzy from the towering height, a headache quickly following.

“Alright... If this were real life, falling from here would probably be fatal,” I mutter. “But this is a dreamscape. You’re not supposed to die here.” Yet, my own words don’t comfort me. Echo can still consume my soul here. Isn’t that basically like dying?

The climb feels endless. Every step sends a tremor through my already sore muscles. At last, I pull myself over the final ledge, gasping for air, my hands raw and my body soaked with sweat and spray. Standing at the summit, I pause to catch my breath, allowing myself a moment to absorb the view.

My jaw drops.

Before me lies a landscape far from what I imagined. It’s a patchwork of diverse terrains, stitched together like mismatched scraps of fabric. I see bits that look like cities, oceans, mountain ranges, and deserts—every kind of scene rolled into one vibrant collage.

The place that draws me in is right next to the bustling urban sprawl. It’s darker than anywhere else, cloaked in a thick, smoky shadow that hovers over its jagged, pencil-like rooftops. The only hint of color is the faint blue light flickering from the windows.

That’s where I need to be. I can feel it.

I quickly map out a route in my mind, then bend down to scoop up some river water in my hands. I take a deep gulp, shake off my hands, and inhale deeply.

“Fuck, I’m really going to wander through this place, huh?” I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose. I have no idea what’s waiting for me in there. It could be anything, literally anything. But, at least, I’ve got a bit of luck on my side. To get to the shadowy spot, all I have to do is cross the city and a small stretch of forest. And the best part? It’s all downhill from here. So, it shouldn’t be as hard as it could be.

After a bit, I find myself coming out of the forest, the trees gradually giving way to the edges of the city. The change is sudden—one moment I’m on dirt, the next I’m on pavement, like I’ve crossed an invisible line. The air gets warmer, and street lamps cast a soft glow everywhere. The fresh, earthy smell of the forest is instantly swapped for a mix of bakery aromas, coffee, pollution, and cigarette smoke.

The city is completely quiet—no signs of life, no movement or sounds except for my footsteps echoing off the empty buildings. I hug myself against the chill that seems to seep into my bones. The buildings tower overhead, their heights and sharp angles making me feel tiny in comparison.

Yet, as unsettling as this place is, it’s nothing compared to how I felt when that presence overshadowed my everyday life.

I keep walking until I reach a small park, its two swings surrounded by overgrown grass. The sweet scent of cotton candy drifts through the air, and I realize where I am—my childhood memory. The scene is here.

“Oh, you bastard,” I mutter, cursing Echo under my breath. That whole bit about being in my head and reliving my memories? A complete lie. He just twisted the scene enough to fool me into thinking it was all in my mind, but we were in his dreamscape the entire time. I thought I was in control, but it was all a mirage. He tricked me into dropping my guard, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

The swings creak softly in a breeze from nowhere, and the cotton candy scent grows stronger.

Well… at least I got to remember this place.

One last look and I turn away, heading towards the city center.

I find the longest, widest road to walk along, making my way to the shadowy place that’s pulling me like a magnet. Its blue light grows steadily brighter, casting ghostly shadows that dance along the walls and street.

My heart beats wildly in my chest as I approach the border. The street ends abruptly, giving way to an abyss woven from shadows. I realize that whatever lies beyond the misty veil is probably very different from everything else.

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