Via's Nightmare

“Coryo? Coryo, where are you?” Staravia called out in the darkness. Usually Coryo would leave a light for her or sleep with her, but this time was very different. The darkness all around her seemed to engulf and swallow whatever light it was given. Her brother did not reply. She didn’t hear the soothing gentle voice calling back to her, or see his fluff that reminded her of the night sky they loved so much. 

“Coryo, please I’m scared!” She cried, she couldn’t tell if she was moving. Via knew she was trying to, she had the feeling of walking but with the darkness every present she couldn’t see her feet. The fawn couldn’t see at all. It seemed like there was no end, it felt like she had been walking for hours and yet had gone nowhere. Her voice felt sore from all the crying and calling she did, but she couldn’t hear a response. 

“Over here~ Come closer little Star..” Coryo’s voice came from somewhere, he always called her little star. It was an endearing nickname he gave her when they became family, but this time, it felt wrong. Something about his voice called her in, while making her legs tremble with every step she thought she was taking. 

“Over where? I can’t see anything!” Via whined in frustration, but once again, there was no answer. All she could do was keep moving, keep walking in the endless darkness until she found Coryo, or he called to her again. Time and space functioned weirdly in this realm of nothingness, if she was moving it felt like she wasn’t going anywhere, if she sat down it felt like she was running. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like seconds. Staravia was at her breaking point, she wanted to just lay down and give up, but then she heard him again. 

“You are so close. Just a bit further, little star~” His voice was closer, it dripped with honey, an unnatural sweetness that Via knew was off. Coryo wasn’t harshly toned, he never raised his voice and was very caring for others. This was different, instead of caring it was sickly sweet, like it was hiding the true intent behind the words. She had no choice though, she had to keep moving. She had to believe that finding Coryo would finally bring some light to the heavy shadows, so she trudged on.

Via knew she was getting close, the air was warmer, the shadows seemed just a bit thinner. She started to run, excited to finally be safe in Coryo’s warm embrace! 

“Good job little star, you found me.” Coryo spoke softly, standing up and Via froze. Before her stood a creature who had the voice of her brother, but monstrous features and a dull glow that just barely allowed her to see what was in front of her.

He was tall, taller than Coryo had ever been, lanky even. All the fluff she loved about him was gone like it was stripped away, there was nothing soft left, it was furless. His once moon lit eyes were dark and hollow, nothing but an empty void that sat upon bone. Bone, amongst the lack of fur the bony protrusions and lack of a nose stuck out to her. His face had been removed, soft details replaced with the skull that laid underneath, what's worse, his tusks had seemingly multiplied. Coryo only had two, but the monster before her had them going from where a nose would’ve been, up his head, down his back, curling around his hips and going down his legs till they ended at his feet. Those weren’t the only bony bits she saw. The creature's chest had an unusual shape, caused by the fact its ribs were splayed outwards, poking through the sides. As his tail brushed against the floor, an odd rattling sound caught her attention pulling her from the already terrifying sight. Slowly she peaked around him and saw what made the noise, it was his tail. It was long and off white, with what looked like some sort of spiked ball at the end. The reality shocked her, it was made of bone, just like his face. It was held together with thin ligaments that gave the tail enough stability to just barely hold together. At the end, it wasn't a ball, but a mass of bony spines that were fused to the end of the tail. It was a cruel way to mimic the fluffy kiran tail Coryo once had. Via looked at him with terror, her loving, kind brother who took her in, was a corrupt, hideous monster. His hands reached for her, at the end of each finger was a long, sharp pointed claw. She screamed and ran. 

“You will be like me…” The monster's voice echoed behind her. It didn’t sound any farther, Via looked back and realized she wasn’t moving. This whole time, every step she took was a lie. She never moved, not forward or to the side. The only thing that moved in the shadows was that, thing. Its words echoed again closer, "be like me", it was going to get her! The monster grabbed her tail, pulling her back into the shadows. 

Staravia screamed and jolted up. Coryo was right beside her, sleeping peacefully. The early morning sun beamed through the clouds. Everything was fine, she was fine, Coryo was fine. It was all just a nightmare.