The nights were long and the little daylight that shone on the world was something he considered barely even daylight. It seemed as if evenings were litterally keeping hold on the world, or at least the universe seemed determined in keeping the sun at bay for as long as possible. Cloud couldn't help but notice the myriad of fireflies, strange mushrooms, and the change with both flore and fauna this winter. It was something he couldn't quite wrap his head around, and he wasn't sure what to make of it all. Bi-colored gaze watched as fireflies seemed to dance around in the wind, he felt like they were possibly even following him...or leading him, he wasn't sure. They were all over the place, so the possibility of both was definitely something he couldn't not think about. His Osprey companion had gone off to try and see if she could find something that wasn't glowing that they could eat, since she was skeptical about touching any sort of creature. Though Cloud himself had already eaten such creatures, they didn't seem any different than normal non-glowing ones. He took a deep breath as he climbed the rock garden, ears flicking to catch any others that might be out here. He was alone though, he was sure. The world was too silent. If anyone was out here, he was sure he'd hear them. But all he could hear was literally nothing...not even the sound of his own paw steps as he weaved among the rocks.

He made sure to avoid the crystals that sprouted on just about every surface there was, unsure if they were dangerous to the touch. Same with the mushrooms. He was by no means a herbalist, so there was no telling if the strange fungi was toxic or not. The fireflies so far, seemed harmless...but he was going by the last time he interacted with them, they had sat all along his pelt but he didn't feel any sort of danger from them. Now though? Things seemed more ominous. The dead silence was a give away to that. The moon hung heavy and low, something unusual he had noticed.

After an hour or so of trekking through the Rock Garden, he stopped near a larger boulder to rest and perhaps wait for his companion to return with her findings. As he sat there, he watched the fireflies below dotting the landscape, flickering and floating around the glowing crystals and fungi that he could see. Everything seemed alright for the time being...that is...until he suddenly realized there was a particularly large swarm hovering around him.

Brows furrowed, he watched the glowing bugs flicker and dance around him, then seemingly within the blink of an eye they stopped and almost seemed to be staring at him. He flattened his ears a bit, a sense of dread suddenly overtaking him. Cloud...burst... His hackles suddenly rose and he jumped to his feet, the male turning around to face the voice. But as he searched for where it had potentially come from, there was...nothing?

Confused, he turned to the fireflies again but they still held their position. "Was that you?" he questioned, though after a few moments when he got no answer, he shook his head. No...that was impossible...it couldn't have been them. No...it's mE. Again, the fur on the back of his neck stood up, but this time, he remained where he was. He didn't recognize the voice at all...it seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time which was strange to say the least.

"W-who...? Name yourself!" He shouted, teeth flashing as he started to feel threatened. "I'm...you..." It...still didn't make sense to him...but the more he tried to listen, the more it seemed like he was hearing the voice inside of his head? He thought about it for a few moments, then he wondered..."Are you...the other half of me...the one that plagues me...?"

Silence.

He waited a few heartbeats, but got no response. Then when he was about to speak again, he heard a loud screeching in his head. As if someone was trying to rip apart his ear drums, and he swore that's what was about to happen, but then the screeching stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun. The sound made him practically lose his breath, heart pounding painfully against his chest. What the hell was happening?

"W-what do you want with me?" He asked again, wondering if they'd actually speak with him. You...we want...you... The feeling of dread he had grew stronger, as did the confusion. "You already have me...you're in my blood...in my head...cursed by my sire..." He replied through gritted teeth. He swore he was starting to feel like his head wanted to split open, ears throbbing from the screeching moments ago. "Not...enough...I want...EvErYthInG from...you...Give yourself to...me...Or we will...destroy...."

Panic gripped him. "Destroy what...? I...I don't know what you're talking about!" He exclaimed, but the voices seemed to refuse to respond. He glanced towards the fireflies, though they remained still. He watched, waiting to see if anything more would be said, but...nothing. Afraid now, he moved to take a step towards the fireflies and all of a sudden they rushed at him.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he swore they were bombarding him. An explosion of sound in his ears threatened to deafen his very being, and the Wreckage male fell to his knees, covering his ears as he tried to muffle the explosion of noise. Only he realized that it was coming from inside his head, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do to stop it. "H-help me!" He called out. He had no idea where his companion was, and the feeling of dread and pain and overwhelming emotions seemed to threaten his very soul. He didn't know what was happening, or why. But whatever it was, he was sure it was his father's cursed blood that had something to do with it...right?

That's the only explanation he could think of...

WC: 1,004

Cloudburst

Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. A deep feeling of dread settles over you, if this isn't what being cursed feels like you're not sure what does.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

It felt like an eternity. The fireflies surrounded him, the cursed feeling he had made his heart feel like it was trying to jump out of his chest, and he started to feel sick. All at once, the fireflies dispersed, leaving him feeling like he'd just been through a lifetime of sickness. He felt sweaty, his legs shook when he stood, and he suddenly felt heavy with exhaustion. What the hell just happened? Whatever it was, it didn't feel good. It left him feeling like Hell had opened up and swallowed him whole, the dread he felt earlier now weighing him down even further. Was this the true power of his cursed blood? Was this the legacy Elias had left him with...? Was he doomed to suffer for the rest of his life...? He wasn't sure... "Speak"||Osprey

Cloudburst - It Continues...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...