Echoes of Dread

Episode #3

The Soul King.

Free

Allen’s journey through love, loss, and revelation unfolds in this chapter. He recalls meeting someone who made him believe he could escape his torment. For the first time, he felt hope—an escape from his curse. As their bond grows, Allen begins to think that perhaps he could live a normal life. However, as midnight approaches, the curse takes hold once again. While sitting with her, he feels the familiar terror as his body goes rigid and lifts from the ground. She watches in horror as he is taken, unable to stop him. When he returns, she is gone, leaving behind only the echo of her frightened scream. Crushed by the loss, Allen isolates himself, haunted by memories of those he has failed. He stands on a bridge one rainy night, contemplating ending it all, believing that death might finally free him from the curse. But as midnight strikes, he is pulled once again into the world of souls. This time, though, something changes. The souls no longer swarm around him in chaos; they recognize him. They bow in reverence, speaking of a prophecy, calling him the Soul King, a leader among the lost souls. Allen realizes that his curse was never a curse at all it was a power that connects him to the realm of the dead. This revelation shifts his despair into understanding. He accepts his new role as the Soul King, guiding the restless souls that surround him. Though his path is solitary, it is his destiny. In the final moments of the chapter, Allen speaks to the reader with a soft, almost whispered voice, explaining that if they ever feel a chill at midnight or hear whispers from the past, it’s him watching, waiting for the day they will meet on the other side.

The Soul King

A World Beyond Midnight

Free

In this haunting chapter, Allen recounts his heartbreaking journey of abandonment and isolation. Branded as "possessed" by his family, Allen endured countless rituals, from priests to healers, as his family desperately sought to get rid of what they believed was a curse. But when nothing worked, they turned away, calling him a danger to the family. One night, Allen watched them pack his belongings and send him away, leaving him to face his nightmare alone. Allen then unveils the terror of his midnight visits to the "World of Souls," an otherworldly realm he’s drawn into each night. This strange, boundless place is inhabited by restless, drifting souls, drawn to him as if he were a beacon in their darkness. Overwhelmed and haunted by the souls’ whispering voices, Allen finds himself trapped in a cycle of fear and isolation. Back in the real world, Allen’s struggle to live a normal life is met with fear and misunderstanding. Friends avoid him, frightened by his distant gaze and the strange aura that seems to surround him. The weight of his curse pushes him deeper into despair, as he struggles to find a place where he belongs. This chapter builds an atmosphere of dread and sorrow, immersing readers in the supernatural world Allen cannot escape, and the relentless loneliness he faces.

The Soul King

The Curse

Free

In this gripping first chapter, we meet Allen, a young boy marked by an unusual and terrifying affliction that sets him apart from the world around him. Allen introduces us to his life in a quiet, close-knit village, where everyone is familiar yet he’s always felt a haunting sense of isolation. Through his voice, filled with bitterness and exhaustion, Allen shares his belief that he was born cursed a belief rooted in a horrifying experience from his childhood. At just eight years old, Allen's life took a sinister turn when he first encountered his “curse.” As midnight struck, he was overcome by a force beyond his control. Paralyzed and helpless, he felt his body taken over, lifting from the bed as if by dark magic. With no voice to cry for help, Allen found himself trapped in a waking nightmare. Is Allen truly cursed, or is something even darker at work? Only time will reveal the answers.