*BEEP!* *BEEP!* *BEEP!*

Waking from the repetitive, annoying sound of the Alarm Clock blared off as I felt the sun crept in from the closed curtains. I sat up furiously and turned the clock off with all of my strength.

THUD! The alarm clock shook several times before it falls into the ground, breaking into numerous pieces.

"W-What's this." I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.

"Was I supposed to be in a shuttle..?"

"No, wait."

My heart skipped a beat when I noticed the familiar bedding.

A hint of sentimentality immediately hit me. My heart started to race as I looked around the room.

It was my room. It was my god damn, old room!

Back in my company days - no, this room is way beyond my company days, it was my room for my entire life!

I didn't know my parents nor any of my godfathers or relatives from the moment I opened my eyes as I only knew of these duos of retired marines who lived in this house and earned their respect and dignity in the war a few decades ago.

They were the ones who groomed me into a strong-willed man I am today. Though they didn't teach me any Military exercises nor codes, they only built my body and, that's it.

I was expecting that when they started talking about their past, you know? And the fact that they have muscles for brains, I had developed the same mindset and failed every test I had back in my high school days and never made it to the college.

And that's the reason why I am stuck with the distributing job.

Hm. Having seen such familiarity, I didn't know what to do next as I paced around the room, waiting for my brain to respond and bring me the memories of the old.

Hang on. What?

"No. No way."

My lips moved on their own as soon as I saw the never-forgotten portraits. The clean and simply-furnished room, the unforgettable pinned pictures of a group of friends in the cabinet doors, and the familiar portraits of me displayed on top of the dresser, memories flushed immediately into my head.

"I-. I am back..?" I subconsciously said as I took a familiar portrait from the dresser.

It was a usual family picture, a man who resembled himself, and his group of friends on the newly opened theme park in Martian Colorado. It was old though it is still full of life.

"Am I really back?"

Impossible. I couldn't be back at my house, right!?

A dream, yes, this is a dream!

And to prove that, I need something highly detailed and unmatchable.

I frantically looked around for something that cannot be replicated by my memories. Until then, I never found anything except for the curtain blowing realistically.

That's it.

I took the portrait down and went towards the balcony. The familiar scene of the towering red mountains beyond the skyscrapers on the horizon made me remember my past life,

as an ordinary man who distributed Company papers on the street.

It was an ordinary, low-paying job, yet it allowed me to form connections with several people that I wouldn't forget in my whole life.

"Man, even if this is a dream, it is too much," I said as I look down at the streets filled with hopeful people. "Maybe this ain't a dream?"

Yep. I never knew of my neighbors and never cared to remember them. How come I could recognize their faces correctly?

Huh. That's cool. Maybe I am back?

All of the training back on Earth was just a dream, that five years I've wasted just to get used to Spacequakes and rigorous survival sessions, that I didn't care to learn about.

"Definitely. Hahaha." I gave out a dry laugh. I proceeded to watch the joyful kids run amok in the yard, when I knew of the time, it was nearly lunchtime.

It seems like watching other people makes time faster and probably makes you older at the same time. Well, I am turning 25 this year. It should be appropriate to call myself one of the older generations now, no?

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Honey?"

My skin crawled as soon as I heard an unfamiliar feminine voice beyond the room. My head jolted immediately into the closed door of my room, seemingly waiting for the woman to show herself.

It wasn't from the outside nor my neighbors. Each of the houses in the hood had their sound-proofing so, hearing anything from them is nigh possible.

"Wh... Who is it." My body subconsciously tensed up, seemingly preparing for an unforeseeable encounter with the unknown intruder in the house.

Clack.

The sound of the doorknob turning made my heart beat faster. I felt the adrenaline heightening my senses as the door revealed the woman before me.

My heart started to calm down upon seeing her.

She was astoundingly beautiful.

Her hair was brown, her smile is bewitching, her skin is white and smooth as jade, and her crimson eyes were-

Wait.

Why do her eyes look rather...- familiar?

I mean, I never met her nor knew of someone who has features of this degree! Not to mention the friends of my past lover were so-so.

"Honey." The woman called as she slowly walked towards me. "I need you to do something for me."

"W-Who the hell are you? And you must've mistaken me for your husband." I frowned and took a step back.

"You're wrong. Honey, I did not mistake someone."

"Yeah, you're out of your mind, lady. I'm not your honey. I am too ugly to be one."

"Do it for me, please." She said as she took a step forward and, I, who is supposed to be a nice guy trying to help out, is in reverse gear.

Woman, I've seen many things like this on my little fella otaku back in my days. I ain't letting a suspicious person go near me!

She might be stabby.

Do you know that black-haired girl from that one club game? Yeah no. Stabby girls are bad. Knives hurt a lot, alright?

"Do what?" I asked and took another step backward.

"My curse." She said with an evil grin as she took another step, by this time I've already held the railings of my balcony.

Oh shit.

Oh shit.

Oh shit, that smile!

The stabby is getting real!!!

"Stay away from me, woman, or I'll call the police!"

"You don't have your phone."

Wait, what.

Phone?

Who in their wrong mind would own a phone nowadays?

That grandpa's thing got replaced by a Hologram, alright.

"Hell no, I ain't using a phone! Even if I don't have my HoloLife on me, I'd scream like a lady from here if you don't go away."

"Do it." She smiled earnestly. "I'd like to see you try."

"HELP ME!"

"..."

No response..?

I took a quick look at the street, and my heart just dropped.

The people! Where are they!? They just disappeared!?

"This ain't real..!"

Am I going to get stabbed here!?

There was nowhere for me to escape from other than jumping off the ledge or assume a defensive stance. And if the situation requires me to avoid everything by using all of my strength, I'll never hit a woman.

Even if she is feeling stabby, alright!?

I gulped down before I eased the tensed muscles I had to assume neutrality.

Being defensive and all will make the target even more aggressive, just like the top predators back then.

"Alright..." I said with an awkward tone as I held both of my hands up high. "What do you need to help me with..?"

"Save me."

"Save me from what?"

"Save me."

"I don't know what you're talking about unless you speak first, alright?"

"SAVE ME FROM MY CURSE!!!!"

Her face twisted the moment she said those words, my body reacted with flight and jolted over the railings to escape from the impending doom.

Though. I escaped from that crazy woman.

It required me to jump off the ledge of my balcony.

The image of the familiar setting disappeared from my sight.

Everything became dark.

----------------------------------------

"Ughh..."

I held my head as I abruptly awakened from yet another strange dream. I couldn't feel my entire body due to the intense headache. Everything's turning and nauseating.

It felt like being thrown in a washing machine while downing a fabricant.

"Ahhh, this sucks." I coughed out as I rolled onto my back.

Shit, it hurts.

The headache wouldn't leave me in a short amount of time. I can't sleep either, the damned pain just won't leave me alone, and not to mention I feel like throwing up.

Thinking of anything else won't do me well either.

And the god damn temperature around me isn't cooperating. It's hot as hell!

Where am I?! Olympus Mons!?

AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH- SHIT! I feel like I wanna die already!

God dammnit!!

This headache is not very appreciated! I felt much worse than being thrown into the god damn wormhole! URGH.

"Urgh..." I coughed out. I felt everything I ate in the past hour climbing out of my trachea, the surge of something swirling within my throat is making me feel even worse.

"No- Fu-! Not now!"

I forced myself to sit up and-

"BLUUUURGHHHHH!!!!"

---

"Alright. Where am I."

After spending an entire hour and a half on trying to recover from a god damn headache, My vision and balance finally returned to usual. Though there are still some lingering after-effects, it's doable.

It felt great after getting off the washing machine. I rose, swiped the sweat off my fore, and started to stretch my good ol' muscles to wash away the remaining ache all around my body.

Or so what I was about to do.

"... Is this what that thing did to my craft?" I frowned as I examined the whole shuttle's situation.

Earlier, I was lying down across from my seat. The safety belts that held me altogether during the wormhole travel were now rent apart. The whole cockpit's light systems are on, indicating the generators and wirings are safe.

That's good.

However, the head of the shuttle got ripped off by something with large claws, showcasing the entire jungle a few yards away from the shuttle.

Embers are still floating up in the air, but that's all there is. No evident fire damage within the cockpit, all is well.

I examined the damages done to the craft even further. Overall, I did not expect that the Gate of Abra drive is still operational.

It is the most fragile device out of all in this craft! I am grateful it is left intact!

And unexpectedly, it was only the wings and the wheels that exploded during that time. Everything around the cockpit is still fine although the accommodation section was slightly affected by the fire, it was nonetheless a least of my concern.

"Whew, I'm glad that the damages were minimal." I let out a sigh as I sat down onto my seat.

Everything happened in a flash. From unbelievable operators not heeding to my wishes to an unimaginably, enormous crimson eye peering through the windows after the portal, and not to forget the relentless explosion around the vicinity, that's the real hellhole.

"Oh, I almost forgot that crazy-ass brown-haired woman that kept yelling into me." I chuckled out after remembering the dream I had earlier.

"Who is?"

My heart immediately released the order 'fight or flight' and jolted my body into a stance once I heard the chilling feminine voice. I faced the direction of the sound and waited for the intruder to make an appearance.

Where is she? I looked around the cockpit and did not least saw a figure of a woman. She was nowhere to be found, even on the outside.

Footsteps rang louder as it closed in, my body started to sweat profusely as both of my hands are prepared to grab the pistol from my waist. My heart was abnormally beating faster, to the point that it is the only sound I could hear.

I didn't feel anything when I saw that drake earlier - no, the drake was too real to be true so, I didn't experience this much of a hypersensitivity.

Furthermore, How could someone from the Stone age speak English!?

At the very least, it's supposed to be Goo-ga-goo-ga, right?

The footsteps stopped. I couldn't see anyone from the direction though. But, I am positive the person is behind that corner.

I heaved a deep breath before I held my breath in order not to alert the intruder of my approaching presence. I made my steps lighter, moving towards the corner with my trusty Colt at hand.

I switched the safety off as I slowly take a peek.

Almost there. I said to myself as I held my breath any longer.

"Where are you going?"

My heartbeat dropped suddenly as soon as I heard her voice right next to me.

How...- How the fuck!?

It's impossible! I was alert of my surroundings the whole time!!!

I screamed internally as I slowly went onto my knees and raised both of my hands in the air, giving up entirely on defending the castle.

How the hell did she get in there?!?

"What are you doing now." She said, seemingly giving a hint of laughter. "You're weird, you know."

I took a glance at the source.

"... I'll forgive your remark about me if that's what makes you nervous right now."

It was at that moment I knew exactly why I was dreaming about her.

She is extraordinarily beautiful.

"I-It's you!"

She gave out a smile in return. She inched closer to my face with a seemingly irritable facial expression.

"Yes, it is me."

"Now, kindly please help me!"

"Y- You won't stab, alright?"

"..."