Chapter 15: Nightmare [Pt 2]

Chapter 15: Nightmare [Pt 2]

"I can't do it," I muttered, my body reluctantly succumbing to hesitation. In the end, the act of taking another person's life was something I simply couldn't bring myself to do.

Despite the seething rage, the consuming fury, and the haunting pain and regrets that had festered within me, when the moment of truth arrived—even in the realm of my dreams—I still couldn't do it.

'I... I don't want to kill anyone.'

With shame hanging heavy over me, I cast a final, longing gaze at Jake and Lisa, along with their friends, and clenched my fists so tight that my knuckles turned white.

I could feel my heart racing, each beat an echo of my pain.

'I don't want to become a monster.'

And with that, I turned my back and walked away, not bothering to shut their room's door behind me.

My vision was blurred, and my steps were lifeless as I made my way to the entrance of my suite.

The state of the door, whether locked or not, was of no concern to me.

I just needed an escape. So, I opened it, and as expected in the mysterious world of dreams, the door responded accordingly.

In a dream, anything was possible.

No more backward glances, no more thoughts about where I might end up; I just wanted out.

I exited the suite not caring about the fact that I left the door open and continued my aimless journey. I walked down the empty hallway, my focus fixed solely on the path ahead.

However, after a few steps, it became apparent that I was no longer alone.

Demons.

One, two, three, four, five.

Five terrifying demons approached, their monstrous forms growling and glaring.

I watched them nonchanlantly, not pausing my steps even for a moment.

For some reason, they didn't feel scary to me. They didn't even feel real.

After all, this was just a dream.

I walked past the Demons, and they walked past me. None of us cared much for the other, so we ignored one another as I made my way down the stairs to reach the ground floor so I could exit the place.

I didn't care about staying in this place any longer. There was only one thing I desired.

I just wanted out.

Exiting the hotel, I strolled down the street, infested with demons and other strange creatures.

Yet, even when we crossed paths, we ignored each other, and I continued on my way, my footsteps echoing in the eerie silence.

I didn't know how or why, but I found myself standing before the drugstore I used to frequent when the world was still sane.

The door was open, but the store was empty.

I stepped inside, closed the door, and lowered the blinds. Metal shutters separated me from the outside world, leaving me alone with nothing but the drugs and the surrounding structures.

Then, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention—a vending machine.

Its soft humming provided a strange comfort in this surreal world, a constant reminder that even in the most bizarre of circumstances, some things remained familiar.

"Ah..." I exhaled softly, a memory surfacing with clarity.

I recalled it vividly now—the presence of a vending machine here.

It held snacks and drinks, an odd assortment for a drugstore. Mostly fast food, which struck me as odd for a place that represented health and wellbeing. nOvε-lb-1n

Although, the owner had insisted they were healthy snacks, emphasizing the absence of junk food and fatty items. Instead of carbonated drinks, it was stocked with natural fruit juice.

A Vending Machine full of these snacks in this drugstore meant there were even more of the goods in the store out back.

However, none of those thoughts were relevant to me at this point.

All that mattered was that I had escaped that room.

I had left the confines of that hotel.

Hunger, fear, and despair were no longer my companions.

Right now... I was safe.

"Food," I murmured, approaching the vending machine and opening it up to have my fill.

The familiar, comforting sight of the snacks greeted me.

"Water," I sought out the sparkling water and juices that beckoned from within the machine, drinking until my thirst was quenched.

"More food," I continued, indulging my appetite.

"More water," I soothed my parched throat.

On and on, I followed this monotonous ritual, each bite and sip bringing a strange but undeniable sense of relief and happiness.

I couldn't explain it, but it didn't matter anyway.

In the end, all of this was just a dream.

So, I closed my eyes in this surreal ecstasy, my belly full, and a profound sense of contentment coursing through me.

This euphoria was only a fleeting illusion, but in this moment, it felt as real as anything could be.

<Nightmare Sequence Will Be Ending Shortly>

{Penalty fee has been collected due to the use of Exclusive Skill: <Nightmare>}

<Synchronization in process>

[You will wake up soon]

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[A/N]

This chapter is shorter than usual, but I promise that won't be frequent in this book.

Also, please be patient still.

The payoff is good, I promise.