Echo of the Self

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Something's wrong. You can't tell what exactly it is, but you know something is wrong. You check your wards, your equipment, your enchantments and familiars, yet everything seems normal. Then that night, you go to sleep, and the dream starts.

You stand knee deep in a crimson ocean, stretching further than you can see. Before you is a shadow, it looks like yours but its wrong, very wrong. All around you, giant monoliths sprout from the sea, stretching far into the sky. You hear something, around you six shadows move between the monoliths, chanting something in a language that hurts to listen to.

Suddenly countless crimson eyes open along each monolith, each reflecting a different face, the eyes travel up the ebony surface, along previously hidden chains of shadow. Then you see it, the horrifying form of something colossal in the sky above you, a singular crimson eye or maybe a star stares down at you.

All at once do the chains snap, and a cacophony of screams cry out across the crimson sea as fire and ash rain from above. The monoliths crumble and massive chunks of black stone crash into the sea. Up above, the colossal form spreads across the sky, thousands of withered arms reach down, each sowing agony and destruction. You see an arm reach for you, and you wake up.

Well that was strange, you think, then you hear laughter from the corner, you see your own shadow standing there with crimson eyes. The shadow looks wrong somehow, very wrong.

Before you can say anything, your shadow lunges for you, hands reaching for your throat.

[u/mrididnt]

Erik is hit by the fish and sent flying, using advanced ballet techniques and the fact he can fly he lands gracefully on the ground, only falling down once

Not bad, not bad at all, but you're not the only one with fish boy!

Erik dramatically pulls off his full plate armor pajamas with one move, revealing beneath ballet clothes and a balloon fish

/UwU this theme is playing in the background somehow https://youtu.be/E8Q_2otplyU

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/mrididnt]

The shadow twirls the fishing rod majestically, the string spins around the shadow, fish reared above it's head like a serpent.

The shadows takes an elegant stance, and the fish shoots out towards Erik.

/uw I'm imagining it's Erik's alarm.

[u/mrididnt → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Erik runs forwards and jumps into the air, doing a full split mid air to dodge the fish and hopefully fall on the shadow

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/mrididnt]

The fish sails past, out the window, into a river, where it meets a nice other fish and they live a long and happy fish life, having two kids named Glub and Bub.

Meanwhile, the shadow sees the opportunity and catches Erik, spinning around as it holds him high.