The shock of seeing his parents alive and well made William's scalp tingle."My... birthday?" William realized he had been transported back to his 18th birthday, August 11th. "Yes, William, today is your birthday," his father affirmed, making William leap up from his chair in alarm. He backed away, nearly stumbling over a nearby chair."You... why are you still alive?" William couldn't believe his eyes."Why have I returned to my birthday?" Memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the edge of the city and the impending departure. Yet, inexplicably, he had been thrust back to August 11th. "Maybe... I'm dead again?" William contemplated his situation.Shaking his head, he couldn't recall any monsters or the circumstances leading to his death. Could it be that his ability had triggered on its own, as it had for Alex in the butcher shop?Frustration welled up within him. He had spent over two weeks in the mountains, finally reaching the point where he could leave, only to be thrown back to the starting point in the blink of an eye. If none of his efforts could change anything, what had it all been for?"William, what's wrong with you?" his mother asked, concerned.In his perplexity, William admitted, "I know you're monsters." Today was August 11th, his birthday, and the day he had been devoured. There was no use hiding the truth.But the reaction from his parents surprised him."Monsters?" his mother paused, appearing puzzled. "What do you mean, monsters?""I don't know," his father shook his head, bewildered. "Is William referring to a computer game he's been playing?""What's happening to you, William?" his father questioned with a furrowed brow. "Is it the pressure of upcoming exams or the relief of finishing them that's affecting your mind?""Hospital!" his father suggested after some thought. "William, come on, I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up.""Yes, the hospital!" his mother echoed. "William, everything will be alright. Mom and Dad are here with you. You'll be fine."William paused, unsure of what was happening. Why was this scene different from his previous experiences? He had revealed the existence of monsters, yet his parents hadn't exposed their true nature. Why hadn't they attacked him, as they had before?"Car keys, where did I put the car keys?" his father mumbled, looking worried."On the shoe cabinet, like you always do when you come home," his mother reminded him."Yes, on the shoe cabinet," his father confirmed as he went to fetch the keys. "I'll drive, and we'll head to the hospital right away.""William, I'll take you to see the doctor," his mother assured him. "Don't worry; you'll be fine."No, no, no! William's mind was in turmoil. What was going on? Were his past experiences mere illusions, and was this current reality genuine? Or during this latest journey through time and space, had something changed that he hadn't yet realized?William began to recall the whole process of entering the forest, but as he thought about it, he found nothing strange."William, come, Mom will take you to the hospital." It seemed that William's pale face had not gone unnoticed, and his mother's voice had become cautious. She helped William, and they soon reached the parking lot.William had remained wary of his mother throughout, but she never transformed into a monster or tried to harm him. Dad started the car but didn't move right away."The monster you mentioned..." Mom and Dad suddenly changed their tone of voice. The once-worried tone now turned strangely indifferent. The lights in the parking lot started to go out one by one, leaving only the car's interior lights illuminating Mom and Dad in the front seats.They both turned around slowly, their faces starting to shed their human-like appearance, revealing the features of the monsters they truly were."Is that so?" This sudden transformation left William in shock. He wanted to open the car door and escape, but he remembered that it was locked. Mom and Dad, now monsters, didn't make any move to harm him. Instead, they began to laugh, producing a harsh, nerve-wracking sound that sent shivers down William's spine.This laughter caused William intense pain and a splitting headache, as if something was tearing at his very soul. It became unbearable, and William eventually lost consciousness...."Are you ready?" Arthur's voice snapped William back to reality as they stood at the edge of the forest outside the city."Let's go." Alex took out the keys and was about to enter the forest when William stopped them abruptly."Wait a minute!" William appeared flustered. He grabbed Carl and urged, "Carl, please, check for any signs of monsters around us.""Are those monsters catching up with us?" he continued, "Or are they lurking in these woods, waiting to trap us?""William, what's wrong with you?" Arthur noticed the panic in William's eyes and grew concerned. "Brother William, are you alright?" Lucy chimed in, her worry evident."Come on!" William ignored their questions and continued to press Carl for answers. Carl frowned, then glanced at William, finally understanding what he was getting at.Carl nodded and started to use his abilities to sense the surroundings. After a moment, he shook his head. "There are no monsters around us," he confirmed."Impossible!" William couldn't accept that. If there were no monsters around, then why had he returned to the past? His ability only activated after he died. If there were no monsters, why had he died? "William, calm down," Carl urged. He then asked, "Tell us, what happens when you enter the forest?" "Has your ability activated again?" Alex asked, seeing William's distress. "After entering, we will die," William replied with a furrowed brow, recounting the events that had transpired earlier. But after he was done, Carl found something peculiar."Something isn't right," Carl mused, "Even though we don't know the exact nature of your ability, judging from what happened, the time you return to after your death seems inconsistent.""If we were killed by monsters after entering the woods, then you shouldn't have returned to August 11th," Carl continued. William initially hesitated but then agreed that Carl's analysis made sense. "Before, I thought that the past you returned to would gradually shift backward in time, from August 11th to August 10th, and then to August 9th," Carl elaborated. "But in the butcher shop, you only went back a few hours.""So even if we were killed by a monster after entering the woods, you should have gone back either to August 8th or, as it is now, just a few hours ago.""However, this time, I did return to August 11th." William was sure of this. He remembered it vividly – the cake and knife on the table, his parents sitting across from him, the familiar birthday song, and... Thinking about this, a sense of doubt began to cloud William's thoughts. "Yes," he mumbled to himself, "what happened on August 11th this time is different from the previous August 11th."William couldn't fully grasp the meaning behind these changes, but one thing was clear – he had indeed died. "Just to be on the safe side," Alex spoke up, "I'll go in first." He looked at the forest in front of him. His knife emerged from his bag and circled around him. Alex held his blade firmly and added, "Our knowledge of these aliens is limited. It's possible that there are monsters hidden here that we don't know about.""Anyway, it's always better to be cautious," Carl agreed, patting William on the shoulder. "If something feels off, I'll let you know."This time, as they entered the woods, William proceeded with even greater caution. But when the red light on the key filled up once more, he felt the same inexplicable dizziness and soul-tearing sensation returning.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.