'What a terrible dream… though I’m glad it was just a dream.' 

'My body aches. It hurts. I can’t move. I’m so tired. I just want to rest, but something feels off. For some reason, I feel really cold.' 

“…”

'Hm… A voice? Who is it? I can barely hear them. Are there more than one? Wait… what’s going on? My head—it feels like I’m going to pass out. No, wait. I just woke up… Ugh, damn it, wait—' 

…

“Is he alive?” a man’s voice asked.

“Yes, barely. But this is impossible. How can he survive in this place? And with the state of his body,” a woman replied, her voice trembling with confusion.

“C-Commander, the necklace he’s wearing!” the woman exclaimed, stunned, but was interrupted by a tremor in the earth. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed, like a horde approaching. The ground beneath me trembled.

“COMMANDER, THEY ARE COMING!” shouted a man, his voice distant but urgent.

“There’s no time! We need to leave! Hera, take him before we get swarmed. We’ll think about it later,” a commanding, deep voice urged, his tone frantic.

“All right,” the woman responded.

…

'Where am I now? Am I dreaming again? No, this doesn’t feel like a dream. It’s cold... empty.' 

“Julian.”

'Eh? Who?' 

“His name will be Julian Campbell.”

'A woman’s voice? What is she talking about? It’s pitch black—I can’t see anything. And who is Julian Campbell?' 

“My son.”

'Son? Is she talking about me? Seriously, there are too many things going on—I can’t wrap my head around this.' 

'Hahh... but this place—rather, this feeling—doesn’t feel bad. It’s actually comfortable, like I belong here.' 

'Nahh, I think I need to wake up. With this kind of comfort, I might get addicted to staying here. I feel like I don’t want to wake up from this dream at all. If possible, I’d just like to sle—' 

'No, what do you mean, sleep? I’m dreaming, so technically, I am sleeping. This feels like some kind of déjà vu.' 

'Anyway, when will I wake up? This is truly weird. I feel like I’m sleeping but not at the same time.' 

'It just feels like my own world—a place where I belong. Rest, perhaps. Is it telling me to rest? Then I wi—' 

…

“How long will he rest?” a man with a very deep voice asked.

“I do not know, Commander. But for now, maybe it’s best to let him be. Considering the condition of his body, I think… it’s best to consider that he is…” The woman paused for a moment before continuing, her voice trembling. “Commander, maybe he is dead.”

The man replied firmly, “He is still breathing.”

“E-even so, it’s strange. He’s breathing, but there’s no heartbeat. Not only that, the way he is breathing is abnormal. His veins, everything—they’re all ruined. His body is already destroyed. And what’s even more alarming is his blood. Something is wrong with him, Commander. What if he is—”

The man, referred to as Commander, interrupted her with authority. “If he is, then I will kill him with my own hands. But for now, please do everything you can to keep him alive.” He paused for a moment, his tone growing serious. “We need answers. Whether we survive or not, we’ll gamble it all.”

The woman, visibly shaken but respectful, answered, “I’m sorry. I’m just scared. I’ll do what I can, Commander.”

The man nodded slightly. “Thank you for your understanding.”

…

'Ugh… Did I fall asleep? How is that even possible? I’m pretty sure I was awake… Wait. This doesn’t feel the same as earlier. No, it feels like I’m really awake this time.' 

'Am I awake? Or not? Which one is it? What is this déjà vu feeling…' 

'Anyway, it’s dark. Are my eyes closed? Am I sure I’m not back in the same place as earlier? It’s dark here too, but…' 

'Hmmm… Earlier, I could feel my body, but now I can’t. What the fuck is going on? This kind of déjà vu isn’t funny anymore.' 

'No, perhaps I’m still sleeping. How do I wake up in this kind of situation? Do I just focus and try to wake up? Alright, let’s try it…' 

'Hmmmmphhh…' 

'Nah, it’s not working. I just feel embarrassed now. Anyway, I think I should just focus and try to feel my body. What I did earlier was stupid. Am I in sleep paralysis, maybe?' 

'Well, I can’t move, and it’s dark… but I can’t see my body or any ghosts either.' 

'Hahh… In any case, maybe I’ll just sleep again. If I’m really awake, surely, like earlier, I’ll be able to sleep again, right? But the problem is, I don’t feel tired at all. I don’t think I can sleep. So, let’s focus on waking up. Seriously, this shit is confusing.'

'Alright, I should try to move my body. Even if I’m in sleep paralysis, I should be able to move if I force it, maybe by moving a finger. Hmm… let’s see.' 

'Oh… right. I forgot—I can’t feel my body. It feels like I don’t even have one.' 

'Nahh, bro. This is scary. I really need to try moving my finger now.' 

'If I can’t feel my body, then I’ll imagine I have one… Yeah, that’s stupid. Anyway, let’s do this…' 

'Hmmmphhh…' 

'Suddenly, a surge of pain shoots through my chest.' 

'Wh—ugh… ahhh…!'

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

... 

It was a silent room—a dark, shabby room. A man lay on a cheap, single bed. Beside the bed was a small table with a pencil, a few books, and an unlit candle.

The silence was thick; there was no one else in the room, only the man resting.

Then, suddenly, the man on the bed began to shake uncontrollably. The bed itself shook violently, creating loud thumping sounds as it struck the wooden floor.

The table beside the bed toppled over, sending the candle, books, and pencil crashing to the floor. At the same time, the man began to vomit a thick, black liquid, spilling it across the bed and the floor.

'Ughhh… ahhh… what’s going on? My chest… it feels like it’s going to explode! Someone… save… ahhhhh!' 

As though some invisible force was reconnecting strings within him, a spark of life ignited in his chest. His heart began to beat—thump, thump, thump—and his lungs took in a deep, ragged breath.

'Hahhh… the pain stopped?' 

He could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat now: thump, thump, thump.

'What’s going on? My heart… I can feel my heart. I can feel myself breathing…” He paused, the fear in his voice growing. “This is… this is insane. I’m scared now. What’s happening to my body?' 

The man winced. 'Ughhh… that pain… I never want to feel that again.” He paused and took a moment to think. “But wait… this is strange. I can’t feel my body, only my heart and my breathing. Hmm… does this mean I need to go through more of this to feel the rest of my body again?'

He hesitated, his mind racing.'But why is it just my chest? I’m sure I tried to move my finger earlier. Is it because my chest is the most important part of my body? Does this mean the next thing will be my head?'

A terrifying thought crossed his mind. 'But… what happened to my body? Am I… dead?' 

He shook the idea off quickly. 'No, no, no! Don’t think like that. That’s scary… but… could it be possible? Am I dead and about to be revived? Or is this heaven? Am I about to be reborn into my past life?' 

His thoughts spiraled. 'Past life? Reborn?'

A sudden realization struck him. 'Wait… who am I? I… I can’t seem to remember anything. All I know is that I woke up. Wait… I remember dreaming… but dreaming about what?' 

Fear and confusion overwhelmed him. 'This is terrifying. I can’t feel my body, I don’t know if this is a dream or not, and I can’t remember anything. What’s happening to me?' 

For three minutes, he pondered, hoping for a shred of clarity. But the more he thought, the more his confusion and fear grew. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh.

'Hahhh… This is pointless. I can’t figure out anything. I can’t see, I don’t know if this is real, and overthinking isn’t helping.' 

He paused, replaying the moment in his mind. 'Wait. When I tried to move my finger earlier and failed, something happened to my chest instead. That’s when I started breathing and my heart began to beat.' 

A terrifying thought crept into his mind. 'Could it be… I didn’t have a heart to begin with? Does that mean I don’t have eyes to open either?” He clenched his nonexistent jaw. “Damn it, I hope that’s not true. But… it might be. If that’s the case, then I have no choice but to accept it for now.' 

He took a deep breath—or as deep as he could manage.'Instead of worrying about who I am or what’s wrong with my body, I should focus on trying to fix it. If I can regain control over my body, I might find the answers I’m looking for.'

His resolve hardened. 'The problem is… I don’t know the state of my body. And worse, I don’t want to experience that pain again.' 

He shuddered at the memory. 'Even if it was brief, it hurt like hell. But… I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?' 

He thought for a moment. 'Since it started with my chest, the next part will probably be my head. After all, the brain and eyes are connected. If I can activate my head, I might be able to see where I am and figure out what’s happening to me.' 

His thoughts wandered again. 'But wait… how am I even alive? How am I thinking without a brain? This hurts my brain—even though I don’t have one!' 

With a nervous laugh, he steeled himself. 'Alright… let’s do this. If I try to move my finger again, I’m sure it’ll redirect to my head this time. And then… I’ll finally be able to see.' 

He took another deep breath. 'Alright… let’s go.' 

...

It wasn’t working.

'Ugh… I’m pretty sure I just tried to move my finger, and it worked before. So why not now?' 

Frustration and panic began to creep in. 'Should I… should I try to go directly for my brain?' 

He hesitated but realized he had no other choice. 'Fine. I don’t have many options anyway, so I might as well do whatever I can.' 

He took a deep, shaky breath and steeled himself. 'Alright, one more time… I’ll think I have a body. I’ll think I have eyes. I’ll think I have a br—' 

A sudden, searing pain erupted in his head.

'Ughhh! Ahhh! Damn it, this pain—ahhh!' 

... 

The bed began to shake violently once again. His head thrashed uncontrollably, making loud creaking noises against the old mattress.

Suddenly, his eyes opened.

At first, they were hollow and empty—pitch black voids with no life. Then, from the emptiness, thin red veins began to emerge, weaving through the void like cracks in shattered glass. They connected and formed a circular pattern, resembling an eerie, incomplete eye.

The veins pulsated, glowing red for a brief moment before being absorbed into the pupils. The black void turned a deep crimson, then faded into black. Finally, his eyes normalized, looking human again.

He gasped loudly, sucking in air through his mouth as the pain dissipated.

“I-I can see…”

He blinked, taking in his surroundings. “It… worked. I can really see! But… why can’t I move my body?”

It was dark, the faintest light of the candle barely illuminating the shabby, cramped room around him. He lay on a cheap mattress, covered by a thin, scratchy blanket.

Desperate to move, he tried forcing his body to respond. Slowly, he willed himself to lift his torso, but a sharp, stinging pain stopped him in his tracks.

“Ugh…!” He clicked his tongue in frustration and instinctively pulled the blanket off his body using his mouth. What he saw made his breath catch.

His veins—thin, red, and pulsating—moved beneath his skin as if they were alive, stitching and connecting themselves. They glowed faintly, slithering like living threads.

“Th-this is… is this what’s happening to me?”

Little by little, he began to regain control of his body. His fingers twitched, and with effort, he managed to raise his hand. He stared at it in amazement as the veins continued to repair and recreate themselves.

“This is… unbelievable.”

He then removed his blanket and tried to move his arm again. Just like before, the veins beneath his skin seemed alive, shifting unnaturally. Slowly but surely, he regained control—not just over his arms, but his entire body, including his legs.

He stood up, awestruck by the sensations coursing through him. It was like experiencing the world for the first time, akin to a newborn finally mastering their own limbs.

“This is truly... unbelievable,” he murmured, his voice tinged with both wonder and unease. “I wonder who bestowed this upon me…” He pondered further, his thoughts swirling in the void of his missing memories. “Having no recollection of anything—this is beyond unreal. And these things happening to me… the most unreal of all. Is there some unseen force that has awakened me? Heh.”

A faint smile flickered on his lips—until his eyes caught sight of something hanging around his neck. A crystal-blue lapis lazuli necklace.

"Hmm… What’s this?"

Curiosity compelled him to raise his hand and touch the stone.

The moment his fingers brushed against it, the dimly lit room was swallowed by utter darkness. The flickering candlelight vanished, leaving him blind in an abyss. His heart pounded as he frantically looked around, but there was nothing—only emptiness. It no longer felt like the same cramped room.

He instinctively stepped back, retreating from the oppressive void, when suddenly—

Splash.

His foot met water.

Cold, stagnant.

'Water...? What is this? Where am I now? What is goi—'

Before he could process the situation, a hand shot out from the depths, latching onto his ankle.

The darkness around him shifted. The water, once invisible, glowed crimson, illuminating the nightmare unfolding before him. The smell of iron—thick and suffocating—filled the air. It wasn’t just water. It was blood.

And then came more hands. Rotting, blackened, their nails jagged and sharp, digging into his skin. The crimson tide rose unnaturally fast, engulfing his legs, creeping higher.

From the depths of the blood, a face emerged.

Its eyes were covered by yet another decayed hand, as if something—or someone—was controlling it from behind. And as it surfaced, countless hands erupted from the blood, seizing him from all sides, gripping him tightly, rendering him unable to move.

The face twisted into a grotesque grin—its lips stretching unnaturally wide, nearly splitting to its ears. Then, with a voice that sent a violent shudder through his soul, it spoke:

“Ju... Julian Camp... Campbell... My son.”

Terror shot through him like lightning.

And just like that—

He was back.

The dimly lit room returned in an instant. His body collapsed onto the cold floor with a loud thud, his breath ragged, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Before he could fully grasp what had happened, the door burst open with a resounding crash.

Light flooded in, momentarily blinding him.

A figure stood in the doorway.

A man.

His gaze was cold, unreadable.

The terror he had experienced had not yet faded due to what had happened earlier, but it seemed he still wasn’t going to get any rest or even have time to process it. A lot had happened to him, and now, who is this man?