<h4>Chapter 3: The End Of The World</h4>
We all carry our "Inner Demons," is a phrase I once thought held a basic truth.
Back then, it felt like a casual observation, shedding light on the private battles we all endure.
Yet, life had a surprise in store for me - a twist I never sawing.
These words, once mere thoughts, started manifesting in a literal sense. The unexpected became reality, reshaping everything I thought I knew.
*****
[You are Dead]
<Dream Sequence Has Ended>
{Based On Exclusive Skill: Dream, your recent experiences have been dissolved into a dream}
<You Will Now Be Returned To The Preset Save Point>
[You Will Now Wake Up]
*****
[7:30 AM; Saturday, 29th of April, 2023]
"A-ahh…" Groaning softly, I opened my eyes to a gentle headache, as if the world was saying a quiet hello. My fingersbed through my tousled dark brown hair as I eased myself out of bed, my hand soothingly pressing against my forehead.
"I suppose I''ll visit the drugstoreter," I mumbled to myself, considering the mild ache. Stepping a few paces away from my bed, I paused in front of the mirror, my reflection gazing back at me. Everything seemed normal at first nce, yet a lingering uncertainty lingered beneath the surface. It was time for my daily ritual.
"I need to make sure I''m not in a... d-d... dr-dream...?" I stammered. But wait... something felt off. Was it just my imagination? I scrutinized my reflection closely, feeling a sort of déjà vu. It was unsettling enough to make me question reality. Perhaps, just maybe...
I reached out, fingertips brushing the cool surface of the mirror. A shiver trailed up my spine as a cold tingle spread through my palm. But the moment I made contact, a rush surged through me, memories flooding in like a tidal wave. Slowly, my eyes widened, realization dawning upon me.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
My eyes turned bloodshot, and I tightly clutched my head, screaming at the top of my lungs.
''W-what is… what is all this?!'' My brain felt like it would explode, and I saw several images ovep even when I closed my eyes.
My fingers dug into my skin, a desperate attempt to anchor myself amidst the chaos. In an instant, the details of the ''nightmare'' I''d just awoken from, came rushing back.
No, not just a nightmare.
It was something else.
''Everything… my whole life up until now… has been nothing but a dream…?'' It felt like my whole world had copsed. ''No… was it just yesterday? No. It''s today. Yes… Today… I dreamt of today.''
What did it all mean? Why did I dream of this very day, its details etched with vivid rity?
"No... not the first time, is it?" My thoughts churned, threatening to tear me apart. It felt like I was going crazy, yet I forced myself to breathe.
"Haaa… Mikey calm yourself."
Hearing my calm voice did the trick. I could finally feel my racing heart settle down, and the goosebumps on my skin slowly disappeared.
In no time, I was back to normal.
My thoughts slowly began to restructure themselves, and I began to understand all that I was feeling.
"Those dreams… they were all real?"
Yes.
Since I was ten years old, I''ve had dreams where I did things I shouldn''t have been able to do. Dreams were manifestations oftent knowledge, dominant thoughts, or abstract ideas, but still, they were subject to the influence of mind and memory,
Despite this fact, I frequently dreamt of monsters, entities, events, knowledge, and even certain individuals I shouldn''t have been acquainted with—or even possessed the capacity to know.
I kept journals to track some of the things I dreamt of. Some dreams were recurrent, while others urred only once.
When I turned fifteen, I began to have a lot of recurring dreams. That was because, on my fifteenth birthday, I had a rather peculiar nightmare.
It showed me the end of the world.
"Haa… who would have thought that everything was real."
But, how could I be so sure? None of the things I saw should have existed in reality.
I only had vague recollections of those dreams, and my journals were nowhere to be found at this point. I could recollect some dreams that stood out, but I couldn''t remember everything. Even then, dreaming about monsters and some sort of apocalypse… wasn''t that a bit too much?
"I must be losing my mind... keuk!" My head throbbed and my fingers clenched involuntarily.
Yeah, I just needed to take my medication.
"There''s probably nothing to worry about."
*****
I decided to throw caution to the wind and go to the drugstore before heading to the gym that day. As expected, I crossed paths with the pharmacist who had attended to me.
This tall,nky man had a gaze so narrow it sent a faint unease rippling through me, yet I had an underlying sense that he was a good guy at heart.
After leaving the drugstore, I made my way to the gym. I arrived a littleter than usual, but nothing much seemed to have changed.
As always, I was greeted by my gym buddies, and we had a wonderful time together. Due to myte arrival, I finished my sets a bitter than usual. It didn''t matter much to me, though, considering it was still bright out.
''I''ll return home and finish working on my project.'' I thought to myself as I stepped into the gym''s shower.
After showering and getting dressed, I sauntered toward the main workout area to say goodbye to my buddies. Unlike them, I couldn''t spend too long training my body.
However…
"W-what…?"
… I found an empty workout hall.
No one was in sight. It was utterly silent.
"U-um… guys? Where are you? Is this some sort of prank?"
shes of myst nightmare began appearing in my head, and a feeling of dread slowly crept over me. And then—
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
{The realm of the gods, Paradise, will be revealed to the chosen humans. Ovee the 99 Floors and reach the Final Realm.}
<A Tutorial Will Begin Once The Announcement Has Been Concluded>
{Your mission is to survive the Tutorial so you can qualify to enter Paradise. Time Left until the end of the Tutorial: 168 hrs: 00 mins: 00 secs}
<Announcement is ending… The Tutorial will nowmence>
—It appeared again.
Just like before, a System Window manifested in front of me.
"Haa… haa… it hadn''t just been a dream." My chest felt constricted and I could hear myself struggling to breathe already.
~FSHUUUUUUUUU…~
A low hissing sound slowly began permeating the workout hall, forcing me to look around. I started noticing dark splotches, resemblingrge puddles of murky mud, sttered in various directions across the room
''RUN!'' A voice whispered harshly into my ears, but my body remained frozen for some reason.
Emerging from the grimy puddles of mud were creatures resembling the one I had encountered in my dream. A few of them were clothed in remnants of the vests and tight shorts my workout buddies often sported.
I could even spot the striped pink shorts of a particrly queer one.
Unfortunately, the beings who had these outfits on weren''t the buddies I knew. Not anymore!
[SYSTEM WARNING]
<You Have Encountered A Group Of Demons>
''RUN!'' I heard the voice again.
This time I listened, forcing my trembling feet to action as I rushed towards the exit.
Unfortunately…
~SQUELCH!~
Yes, that''s right. I was pierced again! Not just once or twice, but in so many ces that blood began to gush out of my body.
''Ah… haa… am I going to die?''
[SYSTEM WARNING]
<Your Life Force Has Dropped Below 5 Percent.>
{You will die soon…}
Looks like I had my answer. Death was just around the corner.
''... Or was it?''
I hated the pain I felt. More than that, I despised the regret that lurked inside me. I should have known better. I should have believed it was a dream.
''I-if there is a next time… I will believe! This is a dream. It is a dream! It is a…''
[You Are Dead]
<Dream Sequence Has Ended>
{Based On Exclusive Skill: The Dream, your recent experiences have been dissolved into a dream}
<You Will Now Be Returned To The Preset Save Point>
[You Will Now Wake Up]
******
[7:30 AM; Saturday, 29th of April, 2023]
"A-ahh." I rubbed my head, feeling a mild headache.
"... I guess I''ll go check in with the drugstoreter."
I rose to my feet, my body groaning as I walked toward the mirror ahead, about to begin my daily ritual—
''RUN!''
A jolt shot through me, freezing me in ce.
''RUN!''
I was stunned, unable to understand what was happening.
Louder and louder, the sound echoed in my pounding head.
''... I will believe it! This is a dream. It is a dream! It is a…''
Pain seared through my mind, and I screamed, caught between the horror of the past and the terror of the unknown ahead.
In those days, I was ignorant. I was too young back then. Even when I came close to being killed not too long ago, I still couldn''t grasp what was going on.
However, in that moment when it seemed like my skull might shatter and I would die from the influx of all the lives I had experienced and lost,prehension began to dawn upon me.
''I… I have been dreaming this whole time!''
And the worst part slowly began to sink in.
''The nightmares… They''re just getting started!''
*
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[A/N]
No one should dare call the MC retarded.
Try to understand things from his perspective. It''s a wonder that he hasn''tmitted suicide, considering how he thinks he''s going crazy.
Mad respect to Mikey.