Mind-Contractions

They say it's all in the mind. Some call it a need to act out, the innate desire to feel different and more unique than their peers; a twisted take on individuality. Some conflate it with over-exhaustion and mind fog, though it goes beyond simple negligence towards health. Mind-Contraction is brought on by a guilty conscience, peering deep into the failings of the individual victim. Wrestling fate, the victim eventually attempts to subdue the mind through pain. Yet, the struggler never knows peace. Under the heavy yoke of truth, the victim is forced to push onward, as what should only be fantasies consumes their every waking moment. Shadows move on their own accord, playing in the corners of the eye. Disembodied voices break the silence like thunder; firelight flickering where there ought not to be. Within these, and many more visions, the truth is revealed.

Faces form within the windows and mirrors, vanishing just as suddenly... the eyes of the damned, reflections of the victim's own, are ever-watching. Uttering the names of unholy masters, the secrets that bind the darkness are revealed. As the Fog grows thickest, the mind wanders to equally dark places. Each passing day drags them closer to the edge, pulling them down a path of hate, malice, and paranoia. Those who have mingled with evil, both Vampires and Outsiders alike, are susceptible to this curse, despite their own morality.

Pain becomes a focal point, for it is the only thing that can break through the shadows and fog. Understanding is foreign. To think, these people have resorted to acts of self-mutilation to remain useful. Sleep fully eludes these souls, whose minds have been fully severed from the heavens. To find actualization, they've gazed into the void. To find realization, they must tether themselves back to reality. A nail may be hammered into flesh, or the finger burned to restore sight, if only for a moment. Then, even the dull, throbbing pain is barely recognized, the mind wandering too far from the shores.