Standing in front of his wooden front door, Hayel hesitates. His own home makes him uncomfortable, but standing outside alone in the dark feels even worse.
Lifting up his hand, he slowly opens it and walks in. Without turning around, he closes it while looking around the room. Only the old table, the black stove and the cabinets are in sight.
He quickly walks up to the table, takes the matches and lights up the candles. The orange glow makes the room feel slightly warmer, but not less uncomfortable for Hayel.
He stands next to the table, watching the flame burning. The flame slightly smokes, his sight is getting better, but it's still a bit blury, so not everything is like it seems to him sometimes.
It makes him feel relieved though that he is recovering faster than he originally thought it would take. At least he doesn't have to worry about his sight never coming back.
Because of being half blind, Hayel has been focusing on his ability for some time now, so it doesn't make him as disoriented as before.
After all, he was even walking around the village, the city and was cleaning dust and mopping floors inside the library while not being able to fully see. The ability at least makes him able to function, albeit a bit slower than usual.
He starts walking towards his bedroom, and stops before the doors. Taking a deep breath, he opens it and walks in. Old wooden cabinet, old wooden bed and a window that's facing the street. So far nothing out of ordinary, at least he thinks so, it's not like he is able to fully see. However, his abilites don't pick up on anyting either, making him feel a bit more safe.
He changes his clothes to ones he sleeps in. Old, worn out, brown clothes, not exactly comfortable or stylish.
The night's are still cold, making him shiver a bit.
He goes back to the cabinet in what he calls a kitchen, takes out a bit of bread he has left and quickly eats it. Outside, wind slightly picks up, so the windows slightly move, making a light sound of wood hitting against wood.
The eerie stillnes, the sound of the wind and the orange glow of the candles on this slightly chilly night set a certain vibe that Hayel doesn't really like.
He wonders how his life would have been if he had a bit more money though, at least he wouldn't be in this now weird place he calls home. The old furniture, the darkness, and the lonliness…maybe it would have been a bit different? At least he wouldn't be eating old bread.
He gets up and cleanes the table, deciding that he should explore his ability a bit further. It makes him a bit excited, after all he really never imagined that he will ever gain an ability.
When he was a child, he sometimes fantisized about having an ability. He would think about how he would be able to fight, defeat monsters and earn money for his parents. He would explore the forests, maybe even go to those faraway kingdoms and see the world. He would simply have fun.
But of course he was aware that he probably wouldn't gain an ability. His parents didn't have them or his grandparents from what he heard from his mom and dad. But he was a child, so he dreamed.
He feels his surroundings and he focuses on it even more now, completly immersing himself in that feeling. But anxiety grows in his heart.
It's weird, the feeling is like looking through something else, something humans should not feel. It's like a cold and lonely place, with nothing around. But his hearing picks up on something. At first he cannot hear what it is, but the sound grows louder.
The voice is low, really unnaturally low. It's not someone talking, it's something.
It's behind him, he can feel it. It's not tall, barely coming up to his shoulders, with a very short torso and disproportionatly long legs.
Hayel keeps on focusing despite the fear. The ceature just motionlessly stands there, saying something.
But the dreadfull feeling overwhelms him, his heart starts beating fast and he starts shaking a bit. The room starts feeling colder than usual.
It starts talking louder seemingly repeating the same thing. This time however, it takes a slow step closer.
"The head… do you want…"
Hayel's heart skips a beat, he quickly stops focusing and turns around.
But nothing is there, not even his ability feels anything anymore, just empty space.
"What the hell… What in the actual hell is this…"
'What… is this ability actually? I can hear some sort of creatures through them? God no, I don't like this, I don't like this at all!'
He feels on edge, everything until now has made his life scarier than it ever was before. This ability, the things that keep happening, everything puts him in a state of dread. He starts pacing around the room, mumbling to himself.
He sits down again, feeling lightheaded. The fear seems neverending, as if it will eat away his whole being.
He starts biting his nails, his shoulders hunched. He feels cold, his body still trembling.
All of a sudden, the room descends into darkness. The candles have been extinguished. Hayel's breath stops, his body frozen in place.
He sits there looking around the room not even daring to breathe too loudly. He only listens, prepared to run for his life if he hears something other than the wind.
But nothing.
Nothing happens even after half an hour. He finally gathers the courage to move and take the matches, but before he even lifts his hand he notices that there is absolutely nothing on the table except for candles. They are not on the chairs or the floor either.
He starts walking around the room desperately, searching just in case they are in some corner of the house.
But he cannot find them anywhere.
'It stole my matches…? What the fuck.'