The inky blackness is total, a lightless, weightless expanse where no human could possibly hope to see or breathe. Unknown horrors lurk in its depths, cosmic terrors ready to devour entire cities whole, the mere sight of which could cause madness. It is the void in purest form, a domain of madness that will gradually eat away at the islands of sanity that resist, before all is returned to that primordial state. Even stars die in the end.

Or am I lying? Stars die, but they are also born. The unknown may have terrors, but what's to say it doesn't have wonders as well? Are you an insignificant speck, or are you merely surrounded by a magnificent creation orders of magnitude beyond your understanding? The depths that have yet to be visited, the planets that are yet to be explored, don't they excite you? These final frontiers are the battlegrounds of our future, the last challenges nature has to throw at us. For the heroes that step up, stories will be written and songs will be sung.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Whatever fates befall the explorers of the future, the only stories that matter today are yours. Whether sea or stars, dreams or nightmares, show me that piece of fantasy that is yours, and yours alone.

Contest entries for the 2026 Halloween Contest go here! If you're unsure of what the thread is for, or need a reminder of the rules, please check >>/gensokyo/19790