The wind howled through the small crack in the window that introduced his bedroom to the freshness of the outdoors. His thumb dragged aimlessly across the screen, indulging his mind in the random nature of the internet.
[Law Enforcement Grows Desperate To Find Solution To Resonance Outbreaks]
Aemon rubbed his temples while rolling his eyes away from the screen of his phone.
He reluctantly tapped on the article that popped up on his feed to amuse himself with the pathetic attempts the government made to conceal the extent of the outbreaks.
His eyes widened as he skimmed through the article, battling the exhaustion as it weighed them down.
[Government officials give the green light to heart extractions to further the research of Resonance]
Extractions? Hearts? Innocent victims are dying because of the government's lousiness. First, imprisonment, now death? All for something that they can't control.
Pain stemmed from the tip of his eyes to the back of his head. He couldn't tell if the headache was caused by his frustration over the government's seemingly evil intentions or the fact that he was fighting to stay awake.
He concluded it was probably a mix of both and sharply glanced over to the clock that was displayed in the corner of the screen, which notified him that it was pushing midnight.
He stabilized his feet on the ground and lifted himself off the rolling chair of his desk.
The only source of light that fed his bedroom was the soft moonlight that cast through his window.
He struggled to maneuver his way towards his closet, tripping over loose clothing that was left on the ground.
Once he eventually found his footing, he opened the door and decisively chose the closest pair of sweatpants to the top of the unorganized pile scattered across his wardrobe shelf.
Thinking about how comfortable his bed would be after the long day, he hastily replaced the jeans he had on with the grey sweats.
Before getting cozy, he remembered to check on his father, for whom he had built a stronger sympathetic appreciation since Aemon's mother passed away.
As expected, his father lay still with his head resting upon his desk, scattered with work documents.
Drool spilled out of his mouth, smudging ink that seemed to go into depth on a case he was working on.
As he stared at his father, he couldn't help but let out a sorry frown. It was rare to see him doing anything other than working, sleeping, or crying after Resonance first broke out around the world.
Aemon quietly trotted back into his room, carefully shutting the door behind him to avoid disturbing his father's rest. The hallway was dark, and the creaking of the floorboards beneath him added to the eerie whisper of the wind that came from outside.
He threw himself onto his bed, too tired to pull the covers over himself. A sense of relief was brought upon him as he finally got the chance to close his eyes and rest his head on his pillow.
As his body turned off, one nerve at a time, a soft chill swallowed him, pulling him to his inevitable unconsciousness.
***
Warmth flooded the kitchen, and the aroma of roasted chicken filled every part of the house. Aemon was only ten years old, smiling and giggling as he mixed ingredients in a large glass bowl. His mother smiled, as usual, nudging him with her elbow.
"Don't forget to add salt, Chef Aemon!"
She swiftly dashed across the room, handing him the large, wooden shaker.
The light giggles that left his mouth turned into a prosperous chuckle from the playful jokes she was delivering.
Engulfed in the seemingly endless laughs, he dumped a little more salt than he should have into the mix.
"Woah! Slow down! We don't want to kill someone, do we?"
She snatched the salt shaker from his hands while giving off a playful smile.
The room always seemed brighter around her. The sun painted the kitchen in a golden yellow tone, displaying the sunset through the window over the sink.
"Dinner is about to be ready! Can you let your father know?"
Aemon darted toward the hallway, calling loudly for his father to come out of his office. He discovered him buried in his work as usual. After several minutes of struggle and convincing, he pulled his father away from his papers to enjoy a little free time with his family.
As they made their way back to the kitchen, Aemon stopped short. His father, barely paying attention, stumbled into him, nearly tripping over his feet.
It was quiet, except for the ticking of the alarm set for the chicken. Aemon's mother lay still on the floor, her eyes widened with no emotion.
The color of her hair appeared to have been replaced with a silky white, instead of the previous chocolate brown she had had before. Her pupils also took on the tone of murky blood.
The towel that she had been using was still clutched in her hand. A broad kitchen knife sat beside her with what seemed to be her beating heart pierced right through it.
The lump that formed off of her heart showed that she fell victim to Resonance. The symptoms were rather interesting and otherworldly, as her eyes and hair had changed color.
It seemed that she was dead for several minutes, yet her heart continued to beat on the floor.
Aemon struggled to breathe. The warmth that filled the room turned to ice all around him.
"Eira? Eira!"
His father rushed over to her limp body, dropping to his knees in an agonous sob.
His legs felt chained to the ground as he watched his father's hands quiver while holding his mother. He wanted nothing more than to scream and cry, but he could not muster up the energy to let anything come out.
Her heart pumped in a chilling rhythm, and each beat felt like there was a piece of her will left on earth. He stood frozen as the world around him closed into a path of dreadful horror. The beating of her heart pounded into his ears, drowning out the desperate cries of his father.
Aemon fell backward, gasping for air. The feeling of sheer panic surged throughout his body in waves. He turned around and ran out of the kitchen as fast as he could, crashing off the walls as he descended the narrow hallway.
He turned back to get one last glimpse of the scene, feeling like he was not ready to let go of the bond between him and his mother. His father's screams echoed louder and louder, but Aemon could still hear the horrifying beat of his mother's heart that tormented his ears.
He approached his bedroom and slammed the door behind him while falling to his knees. The thin air struggled to fill his lungs as he sat gasping for it in heavy sighs.
The beating of her heart continued to follow him, only this time, it matched the rhythm of his in perfect unison. The pace of the beating grew faster and exponentially louder before the world closed into a black abyss.
***
Aemon's eyes abruptly opened while he was still laid out across his bed, his head resting upon his soft pillow. His heart was still pounding at a terrifying rate, similar to how it was in that nightmarish dream he had.
Each beat crept closer to the pulsing that formulated in his head. His vision grew blurrier as he kept his eyes open. The objects around his bedroom took on a fuzzy appearance.
The dangerously rapid thumping brought him back to reality quickly.
What the hell is going on?