Parsa ran with all his strength.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way, and he fell into darkness.
From within that void, a mouth with sharp teeth opened and swallowed him whole.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Parsa woke up with a start.
He was drenched in sweat. His body was fine, but his mind… his mind was racing.
Were all those things he saw in his dream—or reality?
He didn't believe it could be real; he had never experienced anything supernatural before.
Yet… it had felt so vivid. So real.
"Ugh… what a dream. I had supernatural powers… but how ridiculous. Why would someone suddenly gain powers without any reason? And… what day is it today? Huh…!"
Why had this happened?
It was Wednesday, but in his dream, it had been Tuesday. And the night he slept… Monday.
Had he really been asleep for a whole day? Or just Tuesday? Was it because of exhaustion?
"R-really?… Could that dream have been real? No… no, impossible."
"Parsa… Parsa."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head—calling his name.
It was the same voice from his dream, the young woman's voice.
"Hallucination… again… wait, if it was just a dream, why now… ah… Parsa, shut up… ugh."
Parsa scolded himself silently.
He sat on the edge of his bed, hands covering his face.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his mind was still full of images—shadows, alleys, and glowing eyes.
"Okay… it was just a dream… only a dream," he whispered.
But even saying it didn't lessen the unease. Something inside him refused to believe.
His eyes fell on the clock: 8:45 AM.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling across his gaming desk and bookshelf. Everything was quiet, normal, ordinary.
"What a strange peace…" he muttered, massaging his shoulders.
He got up and headed to the bathroom. Cold water splashed on his face, washing away some of the exhaustion of the past few days.
Looking at himself in the mirror, his eyes were tired—but alive. His breathing slowed, and a little of the anxiety from the night before began to fade.
Glancing around his room, at the gaming desk and the library, everything was exactly as it had always been. The RGB case was off, books neatly lined up.
But he felt something had shifted inside him—his mind was no longer at ease. Shadows of the nightmare still lingered at the edges of his thoughts.
Parsa decided to be honest with himself. Maybe it was time to get out of the apartment for a while.
He changed into casual clothes, pulled on a black jacket, laced up his boots, and threw his hood over his head.
"Today's not raining… but a walk would be good. I need some fresh air."
Stepping outside, he felt the cool, slightly damp morning air on his face. His steps were calm, measured, deliberate.
With each step, his mind settled. Memories of the nightmare faded, replaced by the ordinary rhythm of the city. People were already out, going about their day. Shops were open, engines roared.
"Good… everything's back to normal," he thought.
Parsa walked quietly, letting himself appreciate the small, ordinary details around him—the damp pavement, the smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery, the chatter of people at a street café.
He realized it was these mundane moments that kept life moving, even when nightmares came for him.
For the first time after long nights of terrifying dreams, Parsa felt he could take a real, deep breath.
And in that simple, ordinary morning, he found a small piece of peace.