You've glimpsed beyond the veil of this reality to uncover the truth. You've done unspeakable things to get this far. You had a family, you think. The joy they once brought you is now a howling void, scoured from your soul and lost to the magic that beckons to you in your dreams.

"This isn't madness" you assure yourself. "It's the only way I can live in peace, the only way I can make the whispers stop."

You reach out to push open the the old sanitarium door when you notice your pinky finger is missing. You don't remember losing it. Your mind spirals and you hear the blood rushing through your veins, aching for release. You gaze up at the dwindling sun as you sink deeper into the abyss. You are drowning. There is a struggle. Now, a hand on your shoulder, and there is calm. Her hand is comforting, a gentle light in the empty darkness. ...