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~~((New Year's Day Special - Page 6 of 12))~~
He stepped closer, gradually realizing that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Probably. The object itself was shifting between different shapes every few seconds.

How in the world...?

He reached out to touch it but found disappointment again.

His hand phased right through it, as if it wasn't even there.

Confusion seized him another time. Stubbornly, he kept trying and kept failing to grab the object.

He could already feel himself receding back into his anger. Did he need to use the path of destruction on this, too? Because that notion was sounding all the more appealing with each passing moment.

Before he did anything impulsive, however, his ears pricked at the noises around him. They hadn't stopped. If anything, they seemed be growing louder. Scratching, scraping, shuffling, mumbling, whispering.

But this time, he could also hear a familiar piping noise beneath it all. Like paths of destruction were being summoned in the distance--or behind a wall, perhaps. But he couldn't make out a clear direction. They were all around him, yet as he searched the enveloping clouds another time, he found nothing.

Well, his rage was subsiding, at least. Clearly, there was something strange going on in this place. He didn't understand it, but it seemed that this was not a wasted journey.

Thank the Void. Or Malast. Or whoever the hell was responsible for it.

Hmm.

He steadied himself, trying to listen. The whispers were difficult to parse from all the other noises, not the least of which was the damn wind, but as he concentrated, they seemed to become clearer.

"A test, a test..."

"To grasp, to grasp..."

"To breathe, to breathe..."

"To see, to see..."

"To know, to know...'

"A test, a test..."

He couldn't tell if they were in his head like that of reaper voices or not. But they were growing louder, it seemed to him.

Perhaps a little too loud, in fact. Or maybe the other noises were waning.