[A/N: The 125 PS chapter. Thanks!]
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"Asher!"
His eyes snapped open.
He shot upright, chest convulsing as violent coughs tore through him like barbed wire. Every breath seared his throat; it felt like he was inhaling smoke and ash. Dry, cracked lips parted in a desperate gasp.
He clawed at the bone-littered ground, frantic, searching for something—anything—to hold onto.
"K-Kook—ugh!"
A retch twisted through him, his body lurching forward uncontrollably.
His blurred eyes scanned the room until they locked onto a small crevice in the floor. Without thinking, he crawled to it and collapsed to his knees.
His stomach heaved, twisting violently. He vomited, over and over, until he thought his lungs might come out next. His throat burned raw, eyes stung with tears. Each cough felt like it scraped away more of him.
When it finally ended, he slumped against a protruding bone, panting. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his chest rising and falling like a dying flame.But at least—he could breathe.
"Asher... are you okay?"
A voice called. He turned his head sluggishly and saw Nephis, her face looked confused and concerned. Behind her, Sunny stood tensely, his eyes darting between Asher and the others. Cassie lingered further back, her small figure almost trembling.
Asher forced a weak smile, his lips cracking as he whispered, "I'm fine."
But Nephis grimaced. She stepped closer, her hand extending hesitantly toward him. "Don't lie? You're shivering. Do you want to get up?"
Asher's gaze fell on her hand, It was not her hand.
The jade-white skin flickered—no, morphed—into something grotesque. Bulging veins, malformed fingers, and jagged claws. That thing from the void.
It was here.
It had followed him here.
"No…" The word slipped out, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
The flickering intensified, the grotesque hand reaching, reaching for him.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Fear exploded from him. A azure blade flared to life, lashing out to Nephis' hand with impecitpable speed. Nephis, caught off gaurd, barely dodged the sword.
Nephis' eye got a cold glint as she Summoned the dreamblade, point at Asher in a defensive stance.
Sunny, however, was less forgiving. He summoned the Azure Blade in a flash, its light sparking into existence as he stepped in front of Cassie. "Bastard, what's wrong with you?!" he barked, his stance rigid. "Have you lost your mind completely?"
Asher didn't answer. He couldn't.
Asher dropped his blade to the side, burying his head in his knees, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. His voice, muffled and trembling, slipped through the cracks.
"Stay away… stay away from me…"
Cassie's small voice broke through the tense silence. "Neph… Sunny… what's happening?"
Nephis frowned, her expression softening as she dismissed her Dreamblade with a sigh. "He's not going to attack us."
Sunny's grip on his blade didn't waver. "Are you insane? He just attacked you!"
Nephis turned to him, her expression was unreadable. "Sunny, look at him," she said quietly. "He's protecting himself."
Sunny frowned but didn't lower his weapon. "I can't trust it."
Nephis shook her head, "He is hallucinating."
Sunny's grip around the blade tightened. He looked at Asher again, except, he was not moving anymore.
"He's unconscious."
***
Asher sat in silence, his thoughts racing as he processed everything Nephis had told him.
Even with the help of [Nimble Intellect], the words made his face frown deeply.
He didn't understand. People can't dream in the dream realm. So why?
Eventually, he reached a conclusion.
Exhaling deeply, he forced his nerves to steady before looking at Nephis.
"Nephis," he said quietly, "show me your hand."
Nephis hesitated, but she complied. Slowly, she extended her hand toward him.
The moment Asher's eyes landed on her outstretched hand, a searing pain ripped through his skull, as though a sledgehammer had crashed into it. Her jade skin flickered violently, shifting in his vision to that grotesque, malformed hand from before. He gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms as he fought to suppress the fear clawing its way to the surface.
"It's an illusion," he muttered to himself. "Just a hallucination."
But knowing didn't make the fear vanish.
"Please... remove it." His voice was strained, almost a whisper. "I can't take it."
Nephis silently pulled her hand back, and the pressure in his chest lifted. He could breathe again.
Asher forced a smile. "Sorry for worrying you. I think it's best I avoid people for a bit. At least until... I can look at hands again."
Sunny nodded, a little too quickly. Asher narrowed his eyes and tossed a rock at him. "You bastard! You were waiting for an excuse to kill me!"
Sunny flinched, then glared. "I was trying to keep everyone safe from you! So—" He stopped himself, eyes dropping to the ground.
"...Never mind. Get some rest, you idiot."
Asher blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, words escaped him. Then, slowly, a smile crept onto his face.
"Thanks."
Sunny clicked his tongue. "Tch. Bastard."
***
A few days later...
With Asher stable enough to be left with Cassie again, Sunny and Nephis finally ventured up to the top of the bone ridge to scout their next path. Asher had been waiting for this moment. He walked over to Cassie and crouched in front of her, face unusually serious.
"Hey, Cas... I had a dream about the Void too."
Cassie finched.
"You mean the Dark sea...?
Asher shook his head. "Cassie, I believe our dreams are interlinked. "
Cassie frowned. "Wait do you have the ability of divination?"
Asher gave a half-smile, but there was no humor in it.
"No. But call it... Intution. I believe the void is something worse than the Dark sea."
He leaned closer. "Are you hiding something from me Cassie?"
Cassie flinched a little, her expression was mixed of various emotions.
"I-I don't know."
Asher's hand clenched. "Be honest Cassie."
She hesitated, then finally let out a shaky breath.
"Remember when I said I can't see your attributes?
Asher frowned, "How could I forget?"
Casie slowly raised her hand, pointig at Asher.
"You."
Asher tilted his head. "When I try to use my aspect on you... I do see something"
She gulped.
"Emptiness. Nothing."
Her voice was tremling.
"Like a void."
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[A/N: Finally, exceeded the original! WooHoo. Remake>>>>>>>>>> Well anyway, enjoy the foreshadowing...]