Page 93 of Snatched By the Sandman

The Abyss. The silhouette shifts. It’s the Abyss. The very heart of the Abyss whispers to me, its voice a seductive murmur that promises an end to my suffering. I freeze, locked in a state of tantalizing paralysis.

“Come, and you will never again remember anything, neither good nor ill,” it vows. “You will have no death, no life, no afterlife. Your energy will feed me, and I will resurrect you into a new form. Do not jump, little soul, if it is too much. All you need to do is fall…fall into me, fall for me.”

Fall for me.

The temptation overwhelms me. My heart aches for the peace of nothingness, a release from my torment. I teeter on the brink, the void beckoning me with its promise of oblivion.

Letmefall for you.The voice cracks through the dark haze of my thoughts.

I turn to the new voice. It feels closer, brushing up against my heart…and soul. “What?”

Letmefall foryou.

Nyxion manifests before me, his gaze unwavering and filled with a depth of emotion I have never seen.I will fall for you, Zenya. If you choose this, I will follow…and fall for you, fall with you. I will surrender myself to the Abyss and pray that it consumes our souls and fuses them for eternity so I will forever fall and follow. Because…I love you. For eternity.

“Oooh, yes, let me devour all those delicious nightmares, Phobetor, Epiales, and grandson of Nyx!”The Abyss responded, its voice dripping with hunger.

My heart thunders. My emotions tangle in a web of fear, confusion, and longing. Not quite defeat, though shreds of it cut through me like razor blades.

I gaze at Nyxion—his black eyes gleaming with need and passion, his wings a tattered and torn wreck, seeing his raw vulnerability, the unconditional devotion etched into his features. I gasp for breath, my lungs on the verge of collapsing—my body on the precipice of simply falling…

My mind storms with conflicting thoughts, warring between the Abyss’s promise of peace and Nyxion’s pledge of eternal love.

The God of Nightmares takes a deep breath, closes the distance between us, and takes my face in his hands, tipping his brow to mine.

When the fear manifests, Zenya, you must choose whether it’s the moment to show it your teeth and claws…little killer. Or if you must give it something else. Face your past, confront your demons, and emerge stronger,he urges me, piercing my weak conviction.Let the pain in. And give it back tenfold.

My hands tremble, breaths shallow and rapid. I feel the Abyss pulling at me, its cold tendrils wrapping around my soul, hungering, thirsting for me.

But a new presence penetrates the darkness of my mind, a lifeline pulling me back from the brink. A shield bearing me, hauling me back more powerfully than Nyxion ever could.

It is your choice, Zenya,Eclipse tells me in the silent sanctuary of my mind,ourmind.If the Void is what you desire, I understand. But know this:

If you fall now, you will not see the moment of ourrising.

What rising?I spit out my aggravation.I blacked out and only woke up in the hospital. Some random hiker found me and brought me there. I healed and never looked back.

If there is one thing more powerful than your surrender, my Zenya, let it be yourcuriosity. And yourlove.

Love?I shiver.

She pulls me into the fog of that great blanket fort, and I see them—all of them. Oh, god! Entities I have not yet discovered, flickering shadows of strength and resilience, each with their own story, their own pain, their own light.

More and more emerge from the shadows, revealing a kaleidoscope of faces, emotions, and fragments of memories.

One stands tall and fierce, a warrior with scars and a battle-worn gaze. Another is a child, clutching a necklace of bones, eyes wide with fear and wonder. There’s a calm presence, a healer with hands that glow softly, offering solace. There is Monroe and Linny and Ginny.

They surround me, these fragmented souls, bound to me, ones I have never known. Each is a piece of the puzzle, a facet of my shattered soul. They are my strength, my inner children, my angels, my demons, my heart, my humor, my aggressors, my guides. And one protective force who embodies a shield.

Eclipse’s voice echoes softly,These are the parts of you that have fought to survive, the parts that hold the keys to your resilience. Meet them, learn from them, and rise, Zenya. Rise from the ashes of your past, and reclaim your power.

As I stand within the manifestations of my alters, something stirs within me. A flicker of hope, a spark of determination. I amnot alone. I am a tapestry of strength, woven from the threads of my own survival.

“I don’t know if I can do this, survive this time…” I whisper, my voice barely audible. Maybe it’s better for me, for all of them if I?—

—You won’t have to do it alone,Nyxion assures me, his skeletal hand closing around mine, and I gasp at the sensation of broken bones. He didn’t heal them.Let me fall for you, Zenya. I will face this trial with you. I will face any trial for you. Let me fall for you…fall in lovewithyou again and again.

I open my eyes, meeting his gaze.

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