Haah!
What?
I... Where am I?
My eyes fluttered open, blinking twice before clarity settled in. A dark room. But not pitch-black—there was light. A faint glow filtering through the curtains.
Why does everything look so... gray?
"Ugh," I groaned, forcing myself to sit up. My head felt like it was weighed down by something invisible. I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temple in an attempt to shake off the strange sensation.
A room.
But this room—
Why does it feel like something I'd see on... Earth?
Wait.
This room. I know this room. I should. But why? Why can't I remember?
"Hehehe."
A giggle.
A cold shiver skated down my spine. My body reacted before my mind could process it—I spun around, eyes wide, breath caught in my throat.
The sound—it came from outside the room.
Gulp.
This is wrong.
Where in the world am I?
Haah. I was so close. Nora was just a fingertip away. But now...
I sighed, steeling my resolve before marching toward the door. My fingers brushed against it—it was cold. A visceral dread slithered up my spine, an instinctual terror I couldn't explain. Like something deep within me wanted me to be afraid.
But of what?
Creak.
With a gentle tilt of the handle, the door clicked open. I pushed it slightly, and an unnerving squeak cut through the silence. I pushed further—
"Hehehe."
That sound again.
I snapped my gaze to the corner of the hallway.
There.
A dark silhouette. Just as I looked, it darted out of sight.
"Hehehe."
What... is that?
Haah. I exhaled sharply, my fingers curling into fists.
I hate this.
I fucking hate this feeling!
Why does all of this feel so familiar, yet I can't remember?!
I turned my gaze to the other end of the corridor. Light—just like in the room—filtered through another set of curtains. But the world remained... gray. Like something out of a half-forgotten memory.
"Hehehehehe."
I heard it again and turned sharply.
Sigh.
I have to see what it is.
A step forward. Another. Another. Before I knew it, I was running.
I reached the end of the corridor, turned the corner—
"Hehehehehe."
A silhouette.
It dashed past another hallway before I could get a proper look.
No hesitation. I bolted after it.
I don't remember any of this—I truly don't. I have no idea what's happening. No knowledge of why I'm even here or if this place is how it's supposed to be.
"Huh?"
I halted.
A room.
Another room.
Where is that child? I heard that giggle just before I entered.
I scanned the space. A bed. A wardrobe. A table stacked with books. Shoes scattered about. And—
Cracks.
No. Scars—etched into the floor.
I stepped forward, reaching for one of the books. One felt lighter than the others.
"William," I murmured.
That was the name written on it.
Wait.
But—
My name back on Earth was... William.
"Haah... Haah... Haah..."
My breath came rough and uneven, my chest tightening. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears.
"I'm sorry."
A child's voice.
Wait. A girl's voice.
It came from—
Outside.
I lunged for the window, trying to open it. It didn't budge.
BAM!
Something—someone—moved past the curtain, outside the window. Running.
"I had no other choice."
The voice again. And then—
BAM!
The door.
My heart leaped into my throat.
I looked down at the book still clutched in my trembling hands. Flipping it open—
"What?"
Blank.
No—blurred.
"Hehehehehe."
The giggle.
I flung the book onto the bed and ran toward the slammed door. I twisted the knob—
It opened.
I dashed back into the corridor.
"Hehehehehe."
This time, I saw it clearly.
Not just a fleeting silhouette.
A boy.
He stood at the end of the hall, holding something in his hands.
A knife.
I ran.
And stopped.
Cough. Cough. Cough.
My body convulsed violently. My vision swam as I glanced down at my trembling palm.
Blood.
"What the fuck is happening?! What the fuck is going on?!"
.....
More Golden tickets for faster chapter update