"Are the lights out here or can't the electricity reach this place?" Heka wondered aloud, a shiver of unease crawling up his spine.
Drawn by a mixture of curiosity and dread, Heka stepped forward and approached the heavy wooden door. Carved into the weathered surface was a nameplate.
"Kiervant Sky? It's a weird one."
The words felt strange and foreign, as if they belonged to another world. He didn't stop to ponder the meaning; instead, he reached out and grasped the cold brass doorknob.
With a slow, deliberate turn, the door creaked open, revealing a dark, empty interior. The room was barren, devoid of furniture or decoration. The silence inside was thick, almost suffocating.
Heka stepped inside cautiously, his footsteps echoing softly on the floor. To his left, an open door beckoned. He moved toward it, heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation.
The room was empty except for a single, strange object resting in the center. It was large, shaped like a cocoon, and shimmered with an otherworldly blue light. The surface glowed softly, reflecting light like a crystal.
Compelled by a strange impulse, Heka reached out and touched the cocoon. The surface was smooth and surprisingly soft, like silk stretched over something alive.
Suddenly, tendrils resembling ropes shot out from the cocoon. They wrapped around his hand with a grip that was both firm and unyielding. He tried to pull away, to free himself, but the ropes tightened, refusing to release their hold.
Before he could react further, dozens of these ropes, like tendrils erupted from the cocoon, snaking around his body at terrifying speed. They coiled tightly, binding him from head to toe, dragging him inexorably toward the glowing blue mass.
Heka struggled desperately, but the ropes were relentless. They wrapped around his entire body, pulling him deeper and deeper into the cocoon's embrace. His limbs were immobilized, his movements reduced to futile thrashing.
His eyes were sealed shut by the ropes, plunging him into darkness. He could no longer see the world around him or even his own body. Panic surged through him as he realized he was completely trapped.
Slowly, his body began to go limp, the strength draining from his muscles. It felt as though the cocoon was absorbing his very essence, siphoning away his energy and will. Helplessness washed over him like a cold tide.
In that moment, a crushing thought took hold: this might be the end. The cocoon was not just a prison, it was a predator, and he was its prey. His life, his existence, might soon be consumed entirely, leaving nothing behind but a husk.
****
Heka was violently thrown out of the cocoon, his body crashing onto the cold, hard floor. For a moment, he lay there motionless, the shock coursing through his veins. Then, slowly, awareness returned.
He was still alive. The realization filled him with a surge of gratitude, he had not been consumed, not yet. The cocoon had spared him, for reasons unknown.
With great effort, he pushed himself up, his limbs weak but determined. A single thought echoed in his mind. "It's better to leave this place."
He hurried out of the house, the door creaking shut behind him. The thick fog still clung to the forest like a suffocating blanket, but he didn't hesitate. He climbed into his car, started the engine, and sped away, desperate to put distance between himself and the nightmare.
As he emerged from the fog, the world seemed to breathe again. He paused for a moment.
The morning sun pierced through the gaps in the trees, casting golden beams that danced on the forest floor. Heka pulled over, his heart pounding with a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
He reached for his phone, fingers trembling as he checked the date.
He took his phone just to make sure how much time he had spent when he was stuck in a cocoon.
"Today is September 5th." He whispered. He had spent the entire night trapped inside that cocoon, a prisoner of some unknown force.
A strange sensation rippled through his body. He flexed his fingers and noticed something remarkable, the scratch on his wrist, which had been raw and painful, was completely healed.
His body felt stronger, more alive, as if the cocoon had altered him in some mysterious way. He didn't understand what had happened, but he knew he had changed.
Despite the relief, he wanted to leave that place. But he doubted whether he could get out or not. After he came out, did everyone still not realize his existence? Or it was the same as before, when everyone didn't see him at all. Or maybe everything became normal.
But he couldn't possibly be in the forest forever. Whatever happened, he must stay alive even though no one was aware of his existence.
One name lingered in his thoughts: Ansel. "Could I have to meet Ansel, and ask for his help? But there's no way he can't even see me at all."
Driven by a need for reassurance, Heka remembered the small stream nearby. He pulled over once more and stepped out of the car. The cool morning air brushed against his skin as he walked toward the water's edge.
He gazed into the river, searching for his reflection. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat. There it was his own face staring back at him, clear and unmistakable.
Relief flooded through him like a warm tide. If he could see himself, then others could see him too. His existence was no longer a secret, no longer a curse.
With renewed hope, Heka climbed back into his car and headed home. He tried to summon everyone around him, calling out, reaching for their attention. He made sure everyone was able to see him again.
As he drove through the familiar streets, the city seemed different, brighter, more alive. The faces of passersby, once blurred and distant, now turned toward him with recognition and warmth.