I stumble through the desolate streets, my vision blurred and my mind clouded by the potent liquor coursing through my veins. The night air is thick with an unnatural stillness, as if the very essence of life has been sucked out of this forsaken place. Shadows dance around me, mocking my inebriated state, whispering secrets that I am too intoxicated to comprehend.
I clutch the neck of the almost empty bottle in my hand, the weight providing me with some semblance of stability in this crumbling world. Buildings loom like ancient monoliths, their windows shattered and their once vibrant colors reduced to dull, decaying hues. The stench of decay fills my nostrils, a putrid symphony that lingers in the air with a sickening sweetness.
As I stumble past an abandoned alleyway, a flicker of movement catches my bleary gaze. I squint, trying to focus my eyes on the source, and there, in the darkness, I see it. A figure, draped in tattered robes, its face hidden beneath a hood. My heart skips a beat, a pang of dread seeping through my alcohol-induced haze.
But I am not a coward. I am a man of vices, a man who has seen the best and worst this world has to offer. With a belch of liquid courage, I stagger towards the figure, my mind racing with adrenaline and curiosity. The cobblestones beneath my feet seem to shift with each step, the world warping around me in waves of intoxication.
“Hey, you there! What’s your game?” I call out, my voice slurring with each syllable. The figure turns slowly, as if weighing its options, before it glides towards me with an eerie grace. The hood falls back, revealing a skeletal face, flesh clinging to bone like wet paper. The eyes, oh those eyes, burn with a malevolence that sends shivers down my spine.
“Come closer, mortal,” the figure whispers, its voice a haunting melody that echoes through the deserted streets. “Have you ever seen the true power of a necromancer?”
A mirthless laugh escapes my lips as I stumble closer, the alcohol dulling my fear. “Necromancer? You mean like raising the dead? Please, I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that’s a load of crap.”
The figure’s skeletal grin fades, replaced by a cold glare. “Ignorant fool,” it sneers, its voice now dripping with venom. “You know nothing of the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of this world. But I can show you. I can show you the true meaning of terror.”
Before I can react, the figure raises its bony hand, fingers extending towards me like gnarled tree branches. A surge of energy pulses through the air, the very fabric of reality warping and twisting around me. I try to stumble back, to escape the clutches of this unholy being, but my drunken state betrays me, leaving me rooted in place.
Suddenly, the ground beneath me trembles, as if awakened by some malevolent force. The cobblestones crack and split, and from the depths of the earth, twisted forms begin to emerge. Rotting corpses claw their way to the surface, their vacant eyes fixed on me with a hunger that sends a chill down my spine.
I try to scream, to call for help, but no sound escapes my lips. I am trapped in a nightmare, a twisted reality of my own making. The horde of undead creatures closes in, their moans and groans filling the silent night. I can feel their icy touch, their decaying fingers grazing my skin.
And then, just as quickly as it began, it ends. The necromancer withdraws its hand, the horde of undead retreating back into the depths from whence they came. The figure stares at me, its eyes burning with a mix of satisfaction and disappointment.
“You have been shown a glimpse of the true horrors that lie beneath the veneer of your mundane existence,” it intones, its voice hollow and distant. “Remember this night, mortal, for it may be your last.”
With that, the necromancer turns and fades into the darkness, leaving me alone with my shattered reality. I collapse to the ground, the weight of what I have witnessed crashing down upon me. The streets remain deserted, the world seemingly unchanged, but I know the truth now.
In the depths of darkness, a necromancer waits, ready to unleash unspeakable horrors upon the unsuspecting. And in the haze of my inebriation, I am left to wonder if this twisted encounter was a mere product of my intoxicated mind, or a grim glimpse into the true horrors that lurk just beyond the veil of our fragile reality.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Stab. Publisher: Cyber.
