Chapter 3: The End Of The World

Chapter 3: The End Of The World

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 saw coming.

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 fingers combed 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 drugstore later," 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 glance, 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 overlap 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 collapsed. '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 clarity?

"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 of latent 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 occurred 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, lanky 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 little later 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 my late arrival, I finished my sets a bit later 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. n.-OvElbIn

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?"

Flashes of my last nightmare began appearing in my head, and a feeling of dread slowly crept over me. And then—

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

<Paradise Will Now Be Initialized>

{The realm of the gods, Paradise, will be revealed to the chosen humans. Overcome 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 now commence>

—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, resembling large puddles of murky mud, splattered 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 particularly 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 places 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 drugstore later."

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 place.

'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, comprehension 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't committed suicide, considering how he thinks he's going crazy.

Mad respect to Mikey.