The Darkest Hour

As I lay there, wrapped in the blanket, I felt the weight of Hange's absence settle in like a physical force. The room seemed to grow darker, the shadows deepening into abysses that threatened to swallow me whole. I tried to focus on the sound of his footsteps, the soft creak of the door as he left, but even those seemed to fade into the distance, leaving me with nothing but the echoes of my own ragged breathing. The tears continued to flow, hot and unchecked, as I burrowed deeper into the pillow. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to find a lifeline to cling to. The world outside seemed to be spinning out of control, and I was powerless to stop it. As I lay there, I became aware of a faint humming noise, like the quiet buzzing of a fly. At first, I thought it was just my own mind playing tricks on me, but as the sound grew louder, I realized it was the TV. I must have left it on when I fell asleep earlier. The glow from the screen cast an eerie light on the room, making the shadows seem even more menacing. I slowly turned my head, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The TV was showing a news program, the anchor's voice a monotone drone that seemed to match the rhythm of my heartbeat. I watched, mesmerized, as the news ticker at the bottom of the screen scrolled by, listing disaster and chaos from one end of the world to the other. The images on the screen seemed to blur together, but one headline caught my eye: "Mysterious Energy Anomalies Reported Across the Globe." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I read the words, a sense of foreboding that I couldn't shake. Suddenly, the TV screen flickered and went black. I was plunged into darkness, the only sound the creaking of the old apartment building. I lay there, my heart pounding, as the darkness seemed to close in around me. And then, I heard it. A low, thrumming noise, like the hum of a generator. It was coming from outside, growing louder by the second. I felt a sense of trepidation building inside me, a sense that something was coming, something that would change everything. The noise grew louder, until it was almost deafening. I covered my ears, but it didn't help. The sound seemed to vibrate through every cell in my body, making my teeth ache and my skin crawl. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the noise stopped. The silence was oppressive, heavy with anticipation. I lay there, my ears ringing, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. The darkness seemed to stretch out before me like an endless ocean, and I was alone, adrift in its depths. I could feel the weight of Hange's absence, the ache of his departure. But I knew I had to hold on, for him, for myself, for the fragile thread of sanity that seemed to be unraveling before my eyes. As I lay there, I realized that I had a choice to make. I could give in to the darkness, let it consume me whole. Or I could fight back, try to find a way to hold on to the light, no matter how faint it seemed. I took a deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs, and slowly, I began to push back against the darkness. I would hold on, no matter what. For Hange, for myself, I would find a way to make it through the night.