Have you ever sat down to think about what you're doing with your life? What's the reason you're in that precise place at this precise moment? How did you get there? What would have happened if you had made different choices along the way? Would the person standing there be the same as the one who could have been standing somewhere else?

Oh, fate seems to be a bunch of tangled threads in an incomprehensible way, do this, do that, am I in control of my destiny at all?

The answer at this moment is... No.

I don't own my destiny, no one does. And I believe the thirty-foot snake looking at me with hunger in its eyes would very much agree.

My fellow crew members are strewn about, some dismembered, others reduced to nothing but their weapons, and some not even that. It's funny, isn't it? This is supposed to happen all the time, everywhere in the world, but it's a unique experience to live it or die it for oneself.

I can't feel my limbs, my field of vision is tinted red, and I feel tired. Damn, I'm not joking; I swear I could sleep for the rest of eternity if I don't force my eyes to stay open. It's as if I haven't slept for a whole week and the goddess of all beds is underneath me.

I can't think clearly, but now that I think about it, have I ever?

Was I really so desperate when I chose to become a cargo handler? Low-paying, thankless, and dangerous work, but still the easiest and quickest way out of the slums. If I had paid more attention in the orphanage's classes, maybe I could have become a lawyer, a doctor, or something like that.

If I had chosen not to come on this mission and taken the day off to go for a drink or flirt with some pretty girls, I wouldn't be dying right now.

Was it carved in stone that I would end up here, with this group, and encounter this monster?

If it was, then whoever wrote it can go and scratch things in hell.

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Oh, it's opening its mouth, its green saliva spills and melts a crater in the solid stone ground, its black tongue has some openings with protruding teeth... This snake, quite a spectacle for the eyes, lunges at me until everything I can see is in deep black.

Looking on the bright side, my destroyed nervous system and lack of blood saved me a lot of suffering in this last moment, didn't they?

...

- Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! - A loud noise sounds beside me, making me open my eyes and jump like a scared cat with my heart racing.

Everything is dark, but I see some outlines and lights, some of which look like numbers, specifically, a 0, a 5, a 3, and a 0. Oh, there's also a huge light in the shape of a square covered with an ethereal and beautiful veil... With tomato sauce stains on it.

And how do I know it's tomato sauce?

- Wait a second... -

Because I was the one who spilled that sauce, and I've been looking at it from this very position for three days, every morning.

I feel my face heating up and fumble for the power switch on the side of the bed. When I activate it, this landscape of lights and outlines turns into a messy room with bags and trash strewn about.

I look around at the familiar surroundings with my heart pounding and then examine my body for the wounds I should have. I find nothing, no broken limbs, no traces of blood, no burnt or melted skin.

- Was it a nightmare? - Remembering everything that happened, I can't help but make the comparison. It's not like it's the first time I've had a nightmare, but it still disturbs me how vivid it was.

However, neither the wounds nor the pain are there, and I slowly forget the feeling I received from what happened.

I stop touching every corner of my body and place both hands on my waist, looking at the many bags and the time on the clock, which is indeed a little past 5:30 AM. The date is shown below, today being Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Recalling today's schedule, my expression immediately cools. Today, I was supposed to join an average expedition team to explore a level 3 rift. Same members and the same rift that appeared in my "nightmare."

After a moment of consideration, I make a somewhat paranoid and anxious, yet reassuring decision. I use my holowatch to send a resignation message to the group leader, warning them to expect a second examination of the rift.

The leader, who was also awake and getting ready for the expedition, responds alarmed and puzzled to my messages, but after a couple of apologetic messages, I put an end to the conversation by blocking him.

It's too early to argue with someone so passionate, right?

Soon, I find myself back in my bed with the lights off, ready to take my first day off of the month.

- Grrrrrr - My stomach protests for breakfast, which, although annoying, I can ignore to go back to sleep.

For some reason, I feel quite tired today...