Audible Illusions Novels & Stories

Or something had moved it. Adelaide clapped both hands over her ears, knuckles pressing so hard against her skull that spots danced across her vision. But the sounds weren’t just in her ears—they vibrated through the walls, through the floor, through her skin. Her breath shattered on a sob. “No—no, please—stop—stop—”

My left arm barely throbbed anymore, yet my mind remained locked in its relentless rhythm. Then, without warning, the entire yard seemed to tilt violently on its axis. A sudden, overwhelming wave of nausea hit the back of my throat like a physical blow. It wasn't the slow, manageable discomfort of fatigue or raw exhaustion; it was a sudden, violent surge that made my vision blur into a dizzying streak of dark slate and pale mud. At the exact same second, my sensory amplifiers didn't just heighten—they exploded into a terrifying, chaotic pitch. The sound of a sword striking a dummy felt like a mortar shell detonating against my eardrums.

I was lucky to even be able to create such a tricky illusion but no matter how much Cedric taught me, I never could get myself out of an illusion without destroying the said illusion. “This is an illusion,” I heard that cold and eerie voice from earlier. “Illusion magic.” There was no hiding the awe in that creepy voice that sent shivers racing down my spine. That voice was too close and it made me think – what if – just what if this illusion was on a small scale?

The muffled voices within seemed distorted, a cacophony of sinister whispers and malevolent laughter. Straining to catch every word, Ethan's senses heightened, attuned to the disturbing symphony unfolding on the other side. Fragmented phrases and sinister tones intermingled, creating a chilling backdrop to the scene. He couldn't make out all the details, but the sense of danger and the urgency of the situation grew stronger with each passing moment.

It is a sharp, tiny sound, like a high-pitched screech that happens when a microphone picks up the amplified sound coming from its own speaker, creating a continuous loop. It isn’t heard by the ears but felt directly by the brain, a precise, silver ting. My legs, which had been holding me upright a moment ago, decide they are done, and I fall back to the ground. It took a while before I got back to normal, this time longer than the first time it happened. “What is this?” I thought, just while I was in a world of my own, Umbra’s voice swallowed the air.

His brow furrowed when I walked in. "Elliot, we need to talk." "Can it wait until I'm done with the meeting?" "Now." The clients, sensing the tension, excused themselves one after another. Once we were alone in the meeting room, Elliot grumbled, "What is this about? We talked yesterday." "Why is everything in my studio gone?" I asked, getting straight to the point. His face burned with guilt, but he refused to admit it. "Yvette needs a quiet environment to create. Those trophies intimidated her."

And whenever she shouted what sounded like instructions, I felt a heavy punch in my chest. After the female voice repeated her instructions three times, a faint beeping sound replaced the stationary sound, and a chorus of cheers registered in my ears. What’s happening? As much as I would love to listen to them, I don’t have the energy to stay awake. Wait. Am I awake? Is this a reality or an illusion? Was I hallucinating or having a false vision? But my confusion is the least of my concerns right now. My body and mind seem too tired and confused to process anything anymore.

There was clearly something happening right in front of me, but I couldn't do anything. 'Come on, Seraphine. Think! What can you do if trapped in this illusion? You can't waste time again after making Jesse foolishly die because of you!' Frustrated, I finally decided to at least run and search for the source of that noise, rather than stand here doing nothing. /Boom! Boom! Boom!/ I sharpened my ears to capture the direction of the explosive sound. It seemed that when my senses of sight and hearing combined, what I was witnessing was a cluster of illusions. So, I tried another approach. If my eyes couldn't be of use, I would rely on my eardrums alone.

I couldn't see his face. But he was protecting everyone. I was pulled back, but this time not placed in another memory. A second heartbeat entered my awareness. Not the one I was used to. Then another. And another. I froze. What was happening to me? I don’t know what to believe. Are memories some kind of illusion? The sounds multiplied rapidly. Dozens and hundreds of heartbeats were everywhere. Fast ones. Slow ones. Weak ones. I could hear them all. But…they weren’t mine.

A sensation of something that used to be there but is now just an ache. The sound hits me in the pit of my stomach, and suddenly, the gallery starts to tilt. My knees feel weak, like the joints have turned to water. My ears begin to ring with a high-pitched, metallic whine that drowns out the studio. There's a flash in my head and I see a woman’s silhouette in a garden, but she’s turning toward me this time. I hear a laugh...that same vulnerable, melodic laugh, echoing through a hallway that smells of antiseptics.