[color=cyan]Lights?[/color]

Carmen's mad dash slowed to a run, a jog, then stopped entirely. He stood, panting, breath fogging up his vision as he gazed upon the dancing flames. As his eyes adjusted to their luminescence, he saw the shapes they took, and his sudden awe was replaced by a great fear. He'd heard legends of such creatures; Will-o'-wisps, spirits that drag the foolishly curious to an early grave using the dangers of the marshes and woods... And with whatever creature was large enough to make it feel like the air itself was reverberating, Carmen couldn't afford to stop. He had to find his grandfather before they tricked him.

It never once occurred to him that he might be the one being tricked.

The chase resumed, Carmen still running in the direction he'd last seen his grandfather. The lights grew more numerous, as if lighting the way forward. As wary of these lights as he was, Carmen couldn't help but appreciate finally being able to see again.

Though the sight he came across was not one he'd ever imagined he'd be faced with; His grandfather, practically melting away, into the rushing waters of the river. Time seemed to move slower. Carmen watched the light in his grandfather snuff out, only to reappear across the water. He watched his grandfather turn, skin sallow and flaking away into nothing, eyes sunken into his head.

Carmen screamed. He couldn't hear it over the ringing in his ears, but he screamed and he screamed and he ran, stumbling and tripping over rocks and roots along the river bank but he ran. He wrapped his arms around his grandfather, his sofu, the last person he had in this cruel world, and he pulled with all his might to try and dislodge the stubborn old man from where he stood.