Subways of Your Mind

...

"Like the wind, you're going somewhere. Let a smile be your companion."

Gonal lays in his bed, fast asleep. Past events plague his mind like an invasive species.

His birth.

His condition.

His abuse.

His discrimination.

His penance.

For the majority of his adolescence, he's faced nothing but abuse for powers even he didn't understand at the time.

Why him?

Why did he have to get these powers?

WHY WOULD HE HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO BEAR THI-

You've a lot on your mind.

A voice rings out in his head as he sleeps.

"There's no place. There's no sorrow... From the young and restless dreaming."

Gonal sits up, finding himself somewhere else. Not his own bed, but... a grove? A fogged forest surrounds the clearing he sits in, red spider lilies around him.

In front of him is a hooded figure in white and red, covered in what appears to be a hooded cloak. Not a single feature is visible.

...Wha-

You don't need to speak. Not a word needs to be said.

His voice is soft-spoken and gentle, but also sounds like he holds knowledge even he wouldn't know. He walks toward Gonal, making him stand up. He holds his hand out, wishing for him to shake it.

...Changes are bound to happen to you. I can sense them... it shall only be a few days from now.

"Check it in, check it out, but the sun will never shine...~ Paranoid, anyway, in the Subways of Your Mind...~!"

...What changes?

Big ones... that is all I can say. The power balance is going to shift... quite dramatically.

...

Tell me, Mr. Oypl... what happens when a man of cloth observes the future?

...Man of... wha-

---

GUUUUUUUUUHHHH!?

Gonal wakes up, sitting up, clutching his chest with his right hand. He looks over to his left at the sundial on his nightstand... 5:55 A.M. sharp. Not a second sooner, nor less.

...Man of cloth...? What is a...?

---

"Check it in, check it out, it's the summer blues. Tear it in, tear it out, it's a real excuse. Check it in, check it out, it's the summer blues. Tear it in, tear it out, it's a real excuse. Check it in, check it out, it's the summer blues. Tear it in, tear it out, it's a real excuse. Check it in, check it out, it's the summer blues. Tear it in, tear it out, it's a real excuse. Check it in..."