Gruaaaa....
Gruaaaaaaaa....
Gruaaa...
A sound I couldn't understand—or whatever it was—was ruining my sleep. I also felt the room grow cold. Even with my eyes shut, I could sense the cold breeze brushing against my skin. When I couldn't bear the chill anymore, I tried to feel around for my blanket, still refusing to open my eyes. I just wanted to go back to sleep.
But I couldn't feel it. No blanket.
Worse... my bed felt hard. My back was starting to itch.
When I finally opened my eyes...
— A tree? Why is there a tree? Since when did a tree grow in my room?
I immediately sat up, alarmed by a strange sensation crawling across my body.
— Aaaaahh... it itches! Damn it—what the hell?! It itches so bad!
I scratched myself all over and looked down to see where I had been lying.
— What the—? Why am I lying on grass under a massive tree?
Where... am I?
I nervously looked around. Surrounding me was a dense forest—thick, towering trees with wide trunks and twisted roots. The canopy above was thick, blocking much of the sunlight, leaving the area in a dim, green-tinted gloom. Strange, broad-leaved plants grew in clusters near the base of the trees, some pulsing faintly with a bluish glow, others swaying as if breathing. The air smelled damp and earthy, with a hint of something floral... yet unfamiliar.
— Okay. This is a joke.
John, my man, this is just a dream. A weird, messed-up dream.
Let's just go back to sleep and reset the nightmare.
I laid back down in the soft grass and closed my eyes again.
— When I wake up, I'll be back in my room. Just a bad dream... just a dream...
I stood up once more, frustrated.
— Aaaaaaahhh, the itch...!
Damn it! It itches so bad!
No matter how much I tried to fool myself into thinking it was a dream, I had to face it—this wasn't normal.
What made it worse was realizing something else...
I was completely naked.
And my body felt... different.
My skin was tighter, my muscles more toned—
I felt young again. Like I was in my twenties.
— It's freezing. Wait... why does my voice sound different?
And... my back and knees don't hurt anymore?
I spotted a clear stream nearby and walked toward it, eager to check my reflection. When I leaned over and looked into the water, my eyes widened.
— Huh...? Let me check that again...
I leaned in closer. The reflection staring back at me was a face I didn't recognize... because I had never looked like this before in my entire life.
— Hahaha... who said this was a bad dream? Hahaha...
I laughed in disbelief.
In the reflection was a handsome young man with well-defined features and...
— I have abs. Real ones... Haay...
I sighed, still trying to process everything. But instead of overthinking it, I pushed the questions aside. I had bigger problems.
I may have regained my youth, but I was in the middle of an unknown forest.
And worse... I could die here. From hunger... or worse—something hunting me.
— Shrriii... Shrriii...
— W-What the hell? That was fast. I just thought about something scary, and now you're already here?
I heard a rustle coming from the tall grass near where I had just been lying. I froze, eyes trained on the area, waiting to see what kind of creature would come out.
But before I could react—
— Hugh... Hugh... Hugh... Hugh...
I didn't wait. I bolted.
I ran as fast as I could, barefoot and completely exposed.
I didn't care about the pain in my feet, even as they scraped against rocks and roots or stumbled through patches of thorny undergrowth.
My only thought was: Survive.
As I pushed forward, I passed through clusters of tall, fern-like plants with curling tips that seemed to move when brushed. Glowing moss clung to tree trunks, casting faint green light that made shadows dance around me. Somewhere above, I heard the flutter of wings... or was it chittering?
— Gruuuuuuuiiaaaaawwll...
— Just my luck... seriously...
I ran faster, tripping, stumbling, falling—but always getting back up. My breath was ragged. My legs were screaming in pain. My heart felt like it would explode.
Eventually, I tripped on a massive root and collapsed face-first into the ground.
— Ngh...
I gasped for air.
I heard it again—closer.
That thing... it was right behind me.
I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't cooperate.
— H-Heh... I thought I lost you... You were just toying with me, huh?
Making me think I escaped... False hope... Heh... Heh...
I leaned back against the root of a tree, panting, my body drenched in sweat and dirt. I looked up, wanting—needing—to see what had been chasing me all this time.
— I don't even know why this is happening to me...
Why did I end up in a place like this...? (sigh)
— Grruu... Grruu...
And then... I saw it.
My eyes widened in terror.
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