The Gift of Nightmares

The world had always felt heavy to Leegna Eflok. A constant weight on his chest that made it hard to breathe. At night, the darkness brought no comfort, only a reminder of the suffocating void that wrapped around him in every waking moment. It wasn't the battles or the enemies lurking in the shadow realm that truly scared him; it was the endless nights spent locked in a prison of his own mind. A mind that refused to rest.

-The nightmares had been with him for as long as he could remember. Endless, haunting visions that would paralyze him in his sleep. His body stiff, heart pounding, eyes open but unable to move. The shadows in the room would shift, twist, and take form—figures looming over him, laughing, whispering dark truths about his fate. He was different. He had always been different.

And now, he knew why.

-The time-leaping ability was a curse disguised as a gift. It had always been inside him, dormant, waiting. Since birth, his destiny had been set in motion. A power that bent time itself, but not without consequence. A human mind was never meant to wield such an ability, and his nightmares were the price he paid for it. His consciousness was stretched thin, pulled between the present and future, with his mind struggling to reconcile the difference.

Leegna would lie awake for hours, eyes bloodshot and mind racing. He drank coffee and energy drinks by the gallon, trying to keep the nightmares at bay. But the more he fought them, the more persistent they became. It was as though the universe was forcing him to see something he wasn't ready for, to comprehend the incomprehensible.

That was when the visions began.

-It started slowly—flashes of events that hadn't happened yet. Moments that felt oddly familiar, but distant, like a dream. And soon enough, the flashes became more vivid, more frequent, until he couldn't tell if he was seeing the present or a shadow of the future. He didn't know it at the time, but his mind had unlocked something beyond the time-leaping power. Precognition. As though fate itself had granted him this extra gift, knowing what lay ahead in his journey. But was it really a gift, or just another curse?

Leegna sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his temples as the effects of yet another sleepless night threatened to overwhelm him. His reflection in the mirror across the room was unfamiliar—his once vibrant hair had begun to turn gray in streaks, a clear sign of the toll this power was taking on him. He could feel it, deep within his bones, like his very life force was being drained each time he leapt forward in time or peered too far ahead.

How much longer can I keep doing this? he wondered, his thoughts spiraling. His hands trembled as he gripped the cup of coffee tighter, staring at the swirling liquid as though it held the answer to his problems.

-It wasn't just the toll on his body; it was the uncertainty that scared him the most. With each use of the time leap, his memories collided. He couldn't always remember which events had happened and which he had changed. The butterfly effect was real, and each ripple he caused in the timeline made things more unpredictable. Stina... she had been the first casualty of his power. His dearest friend, the one who was supposed to help him later on, had been taken from him because of the changes he made in time.

The price of being a time leaper was high.

But the precognition was different. It was like a double-edged sword, giving him insight into what might happen but without the clarity of whether it was something he could—or should—change. Each glimpse of the future weighed on him, adding to the uncertainty of his journey. What if he changed something and made it worse? What if the future he saw was inevitable, no matter what he did?

"Leegna," a voice pulled him from his thoughts.

It was Enzok, watching him with concern. His mentor had noticed the change in Leegna's demeanor, the exhaustion etched into every line of his face.

"You've been pushing yourself too hard," Enzok said, his voice firm but with a softness only Leegna would understand. "Your power... it's eating away at you. You need to be careful."

Leegna laughed bitterly. "Careful? How can I be careful when I don't even know if I'm awake half the time?"

He stood up abruptly, pacing the room. "I've seen things, Enzok. Things that haven't happened yet, things that might never happen. And each time I try to use this power, it feels like I'm losing a part of myself."

Enzok's expression remained calm, though there was an unmistakable sadness in his eyes. "That's the burden of your power, Leegna. It was never meant to be easy. But you have to stay focused. You have a goal, a destiny. And you're not alone."

Leegna stopped pacing, his fists clenched at his sides. "I don't know how much longer I can do this. How much more of this... this gift I can take."

"It's not just a gift. It's a tool," Enzok said, stepping closer. "You were born with it for a reason. You were always meant to walk this path. But you need to understand that there's a price for power. You have to decide if it's worth it."

-Leegna sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. He didn't know how to answer that question. Every time he used his powers, he felt like he was slipping further away from reality, further away from the person he once was. But he couldn't turn back now. Too much was at stake.

He glanced at Enzok, the man who had trained him, supported him. Despite the doubts swirling in his mind, Leegna knew one thing for certain: he had to keep moving forward. No matter the cost.

And deep down, as he stared into the darkened mirror, he saw something else. A shadow of his future, perhaps. A glimpse of the person he would become.

The Shadow Hunter.