Chapter 157: Whispers Behind the Light

I walked inside an empty space. There were no sounds nor signs of life, only a chilling silence.

"Anyone, please answer me!" I shouted, but my voice seemed to be swallowed by the void.

I tried to observe my surroundings, but there was only an extremely thick darkness. I kept walking without direction, yet this place seemed to have no end. I felt trapped in a boundless dimension.

"Am I dreaming? Wake up, Frel. You have to wake up," I whispered to myself in a trembling voice.

Where am I? Why is everything so dark?

"Grandpa?" I called. "Grandma? Where are you?"

I shouted for them again and again, but not a single voice answered. I ran back and forth, hoping to find someone who could help me. However, it was all in vain.

"Help me! I'm afraid of being alone here!" I screamed until my throat hurt.

Where are you? I have tried to meet you, but why won't Grandpa and Grandma come to me?

"I beg you, don't leave me in this darkness," I whimpered.

My mind was in chaos. Part of me screamed curses at myself, while another part stayed silent like a cold, black, and terrifying shadow.

"Why are you just standing there? Help me find a way out!" I shouted at that shadow, but it remained silent.

I fell to my knees while sobbing. My shoulders shook violently. I didn't know where I was, and I felt terribly afraid.

"God, please give me at least one sign," I sobbed between my cries.

Have I really died? But why don't I see Grandpa and Grandma? I can even still feel my own heartbeat.

"If I'm still alive, why does everything feel so dead?" I asked the emptiness.

"How is my child, Doctor?"

A voice was caught by my sense of hearing. I was sure it was Mr. Aditya’s voice.

I immediately stood up. In panic, I searched for the source of the sound. My body turned and my gaze swept around, but there was nothing there. Everything was still shrouded in darkness.

"Mr. Aditya, is that you? I’m here! I can hear you!" I shouted with overflowing hope.

"The bleeding was quite severe. Fortunately, your child was brought to the hospital quickly. The surgery also went well. Just pray that your child will regain consciousness soon," the doctor explained.

"Thank you, Doctor. I don’t know what would have happened if it weren’t for your help. I might regret this incident for the rest of my life," Mr. Aditya replied. "I promise I won’t let something like this happen again. Please, do your best for her safety," he added in a broken voice.

"You're welcome. We are all just intermediaries; true healing comes only from God. We will continue to monitor her condition every hour," the doctor responded.

Suddenly, I saw Grandpa and Grandma standing not far in front of me.

"Grandpa, Grandma!" I said cheerfully with a bright smile. "I miss you so much."

They only stared at me silently, giving no response at all. Their gazes felt sorrowful. Sadness radiated strongly from their faces.

"What’s wrong with you, Grandpa and Grandma? Why are you sad? Look, Frel is here," I said while spreading my arms wide. "Did I make a mistake? Why aren’t you answering my questions?"

Instead of answering or hugging me, Grandpa and Grandma seemed to move away. They stepped back slowly, even though their eyes never left me.

"Don’t go! I beg you, stay here!" I pleaded desperately. "Take me away from this dark place!"

"Grandpa, Grandma! Where are you going?" The distance between us grew wider. I shook my head hard when I saw a small ray of light behind them. "Watch out behind you. Don’t. Don’t go there!"

"Stop! That light will hurt you!" I screamed with all my strength.

The longer it went on, the bigger the light became. I was afraid that the light would take Grandpa and Grandma away. My fear became reality. The light moved forward and seized their existence. They disappeared from my sight.

"No! Bring them back! Don’t take them away from me!" I wailed hysterically.

I immediately ran after them, but the light kept growing larger, as if challenging me to follow it. Fear began to overwhelm me, causing me to step back a few paces. However, a few seconds later, I suddenly stopped. It was as if I heard Grandpa’s voice whisper softly in my ear, telling me to go toward the light.

"Go in, Frel. Follow the light. Your time has not yet come," the voice whispered gently.

With the remaining courage I had, I reached out my hand to touch it. The light was so bright that it dazzled my eyes.

"If this is the way home, then I will follow it," I murmured softly.

I saw that the light did not resist. Instead, it moved toward me, and in an instant, it engulfed me and jolted my consciousness.

Like a miracle, I slowly managed to open my eyes. At first, everything felt blurry, but then, little by little, I could see clearly.

But unfortunately, why did I feel only emptiness when these eyes opened?

........................................