3rd Eye

I couldn't sleep. Not after what I'd seen at the altar. The visions had seared themselves into my mind, replaying over and over like a broken record. Countless lives consumed by the Third Eye—Seers reduced to hollow vessels, their bodies twisted into grotesque forms, their minds shattered beyond repair. And me among them.

But there was one thing the man hadn't accounted for.

I wasn't willing to accept that fate.

The Third Eye wasn't just some parasitic force bent on devouring me—it was power. Raw, untamed, limitless power. And if it wanted to consume me, then I would fight back. I wouldn't let it take control of my body unwillingly. If anything, I would conquer *it*. Make it mine.

The thought sent a thrill through me, electrifying every nerve in my body. It was insane, reckless, impossible—but so was everything else about this nightmare. Why should I start playing it safe now?

The next morning, I sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the faint line etched into my forehead in the mirror. The scar pulsed faintly, glowing with an otherworldly light that seemed to emanate from beneath my skin. For once, I didn't try to calm my mind or silence the whispers. Instead, I embraced them.

"Come on," I muttered under my breath, my voice low and steady. "Show me what you've got."

The threads responded immediately, swirling around me like a storm. They coiled around my arms, wrapping themselves around my body, digging into my flesh like barbed wire. Pain shot through me, sharp and unrelenting, but I gritted my teeth and held firm. This time, I didn't resist. I reached out, grabbing hold of the threads with both hands, pulling them closer.

The pain intensified, burning hotter than ever before. My vision blurred, spots dancing before my eyes as sweat poured down my face. But I didn't let go. I focused on the rhythm of my breathing, channeling the agony into something else—something stronger.

And then, suddenly, the pain subsided. The threads stopped resisting, flowing freely through my fingers like liquid silk. I felt them merging with me, becoming part of me. For the first time, I understood what the man meant when he talked about harmony. It wasn't about controlling the threads—it was about becoming one with them.

But I didn't stop there.

I pushed further, delving deeper into the chaos within me. The whispers grew louder, their voices overlapping in a deafening roar. But instead of drowning in the noise, I embraced it. I let it fill me, fueling the fire burning inside my chest.

*"You cannot win,"* they hissed. *"The Eye will consume you."*

"No," I growled, my voice trembling with determination. "It won't."

With a surge of energy, I forced the threads to weave together, forming intricate patterns that shimmered with an otherworldly light. They pulsed in sync with my heartbeat, vibrating with a power that made my head ache. But I didn't care. I kept pushing, weaving faster and faster until the entire room was bathed in a blinding glow.

When I finally opened my eyes, the world looked different. Sharper. Brighter. Every thread, every crack in the Veil, every flicker of Aether—it was all laid bare before me, exposed in vivid detail. I could see the connections between everything, feel the flow of energy coursing through the universe like blood through veins.

For a moment, I felt invincible. Powerful. Like I could reshape reality itself.

But the victory was short-lived.

As the days passed, the changes became more pronounced. My body no longer required food or sleep. My thoughts moved faster than ever before, racing ahead of my ability to process them. Even the simplest tasks—walking, talking, breathing—felt foreign, as though I were operating on autopilot while someone else controlled the wheel.

And then there were the dreams.

They weren't dreams, really—not in the traditional sense. More like fragments of memories, glimpses into lives I'd never lived. Lives of other Seers who had walked this path before me. Some had succumbed to madness, their minds unraveling like frayed threads. Others had tried to fight back, only to be consumed by the very power they sought to master.

Each vision left me shaken, haunted by the knowledge that I was following in their footsteps. That sooner or later, I would end up like them.

But I refused to believe it.

Every night, I meditated, forcing myself to confront the storm raging within me. Each session was harder than the last, the threads fighting back with increasing ferocity. Sometimes, they wrapped around my throat, choking me until I blacked out. Other times, they pierced my skin, leaving behind wounds that healed almost instantly.

Through it all, I persisted. Because deep down, I knew the truth.

The Third Eye wasn't just consuming me.

It was testing me.

One evening, as I sat in the dimly lit corner of my apartment, I noticed something strange. The scar on my forehead—the faint line that marked me as a First-Stage Seer—had begun to split. Tiny fissures spread outward, forming a forked pattern that pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow.

The Second Stage.

A surge of exhilaration coursed through me, followed immediately by a wave of dread. According to the notebook, the Second Stage granted the ability to manipulate Aether into simple Threads for offensive or defensive purposes. But it also increased the risk of insanity exponentially.

Still, I couldn't help but smile.

Because for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt like I was winning.

That night, I decided to test my newfound abilities. Standing in the middle of my apartment, I focused on the threads, weaving them together into a glowing lattice. With a flick of my wrist, I sent it hurtling toward the wall, where it exploded in a burst of energy that left a scorch mark on the plaster.

I laughed—a wild, unhinged sound that echoed through the empty room. For a moment, I felt alive in a way I never had before. Powerful. Invincible.

But the laughter quickly turned to tears as the whispers returned, their voices rising in a cacophony of laughter and screams.

*"You cannot conquer us,"* they taunted. *"We are part of you."*

I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to scream. Because deep down, I knew they were right.

The Third Eye wasn't something I could conquer.

It was something I had to become.

And as terrifying as that realization was, it also filled me with a strange sense of resolve.

Because if I couldn't beat it…

Then I would embrace it.