Before Aiden's consciousness finally slipped away, he heard something.
A screech.
Sharp. Inhuman.
It sounded like something was screaming.
He couldn't understand what was happening anymore. His vision had already begun to fade, the world turning darker with every second.
Then.
BOOM...
A violent sound echoed through the hallway, as if the walls themselves had shattered apart.
Aiden couldn't even see it.
He could only imagine.
Pain flooded his body. Blood continued to pour from the wounds the monster had carved into him. His skin had turned pale, almost lifeless. Every vital point in his body burned with unbearable agony.
The hollow wound in his chest throbbed with each weak heartbeat.
Slowly, his thoughts began to drift.
Swoosh...
At that very moment.
The space around the hospital suddenly distorted.
A violent spatial fluctuation rippled through the air like a shockwave.
A man stood there.
His hand was already raised.
And the moment it lifted.
Everything stopped.
The thousands of shadow tentacles rushing toward Aiden froze in midair.
The monster's blade, only inches from Aiden's neck, halted completely.
Even the dust and fragments floating in the air became motionless.
It was as if time itself had been forced to kneel.
The man's eyes burned with blinding light.
Pure white.
At the very center of his pupils shone a sky-blue diamond, glowing like a star.
His gaze shifted between the monster… and Aiden's dying body.
The moment he saw the hole in Aiden's chest.
His expression darkened.
His teeth clenched in fury.
A terrifying pressure exploded outward from him.
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH THE YOUNG LORD!"
His domain expanded instantly.
Ten kilometers.
Everything within that radius froze completely, trapped under his absolute control.
His eyes blazed even brighter.
Then he spoke.
Softly.
Almost like a whisper.
"Erasure."
He raised his hand.
Click.
The sound echoed like a final judgment.
The monster froze completely.
For the first time since it appeared.
It felt fear.
True fear.
Its smug, twisted expression warped into something hideous as terror flooded its mind.
It wanted to move.
To fight.
To escape.
But it couldn't.
It could only watch as death approached.
The power of the man's command fell upon it like a divine punishment.
In the next instant.
The monster's entire existence vanished.
Not destroyed.
Not killed.
Erased.
Its body.
Its shadow.
Even its soul.
Everything that made it exist disappeared from reality as if it had never been there.
The darkness that once filled the hallway dissolved into nothingness.
Silence returned.
Within the frozen domain, Aiden's body still hung in place.
Blood remained suspended in the air around him.
The massive hole in his chest was clearly visible.
The man slowly walked toward him.
Calm.
Controlled.
Yet the anger in his eyes had not faded.
A strange glass bottle suddenly appeared in front of him.
The liquid inside glowed faintly with an eerie light.
Without hesitation, he drank it in a single gulp.
Gradually, the enormous domain began to shrink.
Ten kilometers.
Five.
One.
Until it surrounded only Aiden.
Then.
Time resumed.
The blood continued to flow.
The distant hospital sirens screamed once again.
The man simply stood there, staring at Aiden's dying body.
For a moment, his expression softened.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Forgive me, my lord… but this is the only way."
He raised his hand.
Blood trickled down from the corner of his eye as the light within it flared brighter than before.
Just as he was about to act.
Another presence appeared.
Someone else had arrived.
Charles slowly lifted his gaze toward the end of the hallway.
He prepared himself.
One hand remained directed toward Aiden, maintaining the fragile balance that kept him alive.
His other hand rose slowly.
At once, electricity crackled violently around his arm, coils of blue lightning twisting through the air. Frost followed in its wake, spreading along the energy until the power condensed into the shape of a spear, lightning wrapped around frozen crystal.
The weapon hummed with terrifying power.
As the energy gathered, the hair at the side of Charles's head slowly turned white.
The sound of footsteps grew closer.
Faster.
Closer.
Then.
BANG!
The door at the end of the hallway burst open.
Charles tightened his grip on the spear, ready to strike the moment the enemy appeared.
But before he could launch the attack.
He stopped.
The tension in the air eased slightly.
The domain surrounding the area slowly faded, returning the world to normal.
Charles lowered the spear slightly, his focus returning immediately to Aiden.
The person who entered the hallway was the owner of this private facility.
Several armed men followed closely behind him. Their movements were sharp and disciplined, clearly trained guards. Some of them dragged unconscious figures along the floor, it seemed they had already subdued several intruders.
The man stopped when he saw Charles.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Charles… it's you?!"
Charles didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Aiden.
The man followed his gaze.
The moment he saw the massive wound in Aiden's chest, his expression darkened instantly.
He turned sharply toward the guards behind him.
"Go. Check the other areas immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guards obeyed without hesitation, scattering in different directions throughout the facility.
Some leapt down separate hallways.
Others moved to secure nearby floors.
Within seconds, the area was filled with rapid footsteps and urgent movement.
The man then walked closer until he stood beside Charles.
For a moment, he stared at Aiden's condition.
His jaw tightened.
"…I'm sorry, Charles."
Charles finally spoke, his voice low and controlled.
"It's fine. This isn't your fault."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"But right now… there are too many suspicious people."
James clenched his fists.
"No, Charles. This is my fault."
He bit his lip hard enough for blood to appear.
"I don't know how they discovered this place… but you're right. Something about this situation is wrong."
His gaze hardened.
"The sensors… the surveillance systems… even the security technology… all of it was blocked completely."
"That's not something ordinary enemies can do."
His voice grew darker.
"Which means…"
He stopped himself before finishing the sentence.
Charles listened silently, absorbing every detail.
Then he spoke again.
"You're right. Gather everyone immediately."
"Make sure no one is interfering from the inside."
James's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…Charles."
"Are you saying you suspect my people?"
His voice carried a dangerous edge.
"They would never betray their own lord."
Charles's expression didn't change.
"SHUT UP, JAMES."
"AND FOLLOW MY ORDERS."
His voice exploded with authority.
The anger in it made the air tremble.
James grit his teeth.
"Are you out of your damn mind, Charles?!"
"I trust my people. I know them better than anyone!"
Charles turned his head slowly.
His eyes burned with terrifying intensity.
"THIS IS AN ORDER."
"DISOBEY ME…"
"And you know exactly what the consequences will be."
At that moment.
A wave of killing intent burst from Charles's body.
The entire hallway trembled under the pressure.
It felt like standing in the middle of a battlefield soaked with the blood of countless enemies.
Even James, who had fought in wars and survived countless battles, felt cold sweat run down his back.
Still, he refused to back down completely.
His own killing intent surged outward in response.
But compared to Charles…
It was clear who carried the heavier weight of death.
After a moment of tense silence.
James exhaled sharply.
"…Fine."
He knew Charles wasn't doing this out of paranoia.
He was trying to find whoever was responsible.
And the truth was…
James himself had no idea how the enemy had infiltrated this place.
Slowly, he raised his hand and pulled out a strange device.
He pressed the button.
His voice turned cold as he issued the command.
"Call everyone."
"I want every single person gathered in one area."
"Seal every exit."
"No one leaves."
"If anyone attempts to escape capture them."
He paused for a moment.
Then finished calmly.
"…And if you cannot capture them."
"Kill them."
James lowered the device slowly.
Despite his anger, his mind remained calm.
He had once been a veteran commander before retiring to live a peaceful life.
But above all else.
He was loyal to the young lord.
If someone truly betrayed that trust…
James would show no mercy.
James looked at Charles, his emotions tangled and heavy. He could see the desperation in Charles' movements, the way he tried to do everything he could for Aiden.
But deep down, they both knew the truth.
It was hopeless.
"Charles, stop!" James said sharply. "No matter what you do… it's useless."
His voice lowered, strained with reluctant acceptance.
"Aiden's wounds are too severe. Just freeze the injuries, seal them completely so he won't lose more blood. It'll also ease his pain."
James stepped forward, already thinking several steps ahead.
"Bring Aiden to another room," he continued. "This is going to be difficult. I need you to send a message so we can acquire the ingredients we need."
His voice grew quieter.
"It might take a while… but we don't have any other choice."
James paused for a moment before speaking again.
"I know you don't want to do this," he said softly. "But you already know what needs to be done… don't you, Charles?"
Silence hung in the room.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Finally, Charles spoke.
"…I see."
The words came out as nothing more than a whisper.
James didn't reply.
He didn't need to.
Both of them already understood what would happen next.
Without another word, James walked away and began gathering the necessary equipment.
Charles followed behind him, his thoughts spiraling.
His jaw tightened.
His teeth ground together as anger, fear, and helplessness mixed in his chest.
Meanwhile, Aiden remained motionless.
Unmoving.
Unaware.
His mind had already begun drifting somewhere else.
Somewhere far away.
Into the past.
"..."
Honk!
The sharp sound of a car horn cut through the air.
Engines rumbled along the street.
People laughed, talked, and walked past each other without a care.
Some simply sat around, enjoying the day.
Others stared blankly at the sky, lost in thoughts about their lives.
Scooters beeped as they weaved through traffic.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Another loud horn blared.
Beep!
"Damn, those motherfuckers talk too much," someone scoffed loudly.
"But the PH server stayed on top, didn't it? Hahaha! Seriously!"
"HAHAHA! Yeah!"
"You remember that bastard who kept bragging like he was the strongest?" another voice chimed in.
"Hambog kasi!"
"He kept mocking the PH team, said our server was weak."
"And what happened?"
"Hahahaha! He got humbled real quick!"
"Honkkk!"
"When he tried to solo, he got absolutely brutalized!"
"Bro experienced the dark system firsthand!"
"Haha! Poor guy. All he had were trash teammates."
People continued arguing, joking, and talking nonsense.
Someone nearby was even singing loudly.
Even though there wasn't any special occasion.
Just… noise.
Life moving forward.
"What the hell…?"
"..."
Aiden's eyes suddenly snapped open.
He shot upright in bed.
His breathing came out ragged and uneven as if he had just run a marathon.
His head buzzed violently.
The world around him spun in circles.
He grabbed his head tightly, forcing himself to breathe.
"Inhale… exhale…"
But the dizziness refused to stop.
"ugh…" he muttered under his breath.
"What the fuck happened to me, bro…?"
He slowly looked around the room.
Everything looked the same.
The same cracked walls.
The same wooden ceiling above him.
The same messy space filled with scattered clothes, a half-empty water bottle, and a charger hanging off the edge of the table.
Nothing had changed.
Relief slowly washed over him.
He let out a long, tired sigh.
"Well… thank God that was just a fucking dream."
Aiden slowly lay back down on the bed.
The thin mattress creaked softly.
For a moment he just stared at the wooden planks on the ceiling, following the uneven lines in the wood as his breathing gradually steadied.
Then he slowly pushed himself upright again, rubbing his face with both hands.
"Man… I've never had a dream like that before," he muttered quietly to himself.
His head still felt heavy.
Seriously…
He could still remember it clearly.
The hospital.
The pain.
The smell of disinfectant in the air.
And that thing.
That monster… or whatever the hell it was.
Aiden shivered slightly.
"Fuck… seriously…"
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"This is the tenth time already."
Another deep sigh escaped him.
The first time it happened, he was only twelve years old.
He could still remember it vividly.
Back then, he had dreamed he was standing somewhere impossibly high.
At the top of something.
He didn't know if it was a skyscraper or some kind of tower.
But the city below looked tiny.
Endless lights stretching across the horizon.
Then suddenly.
He slipped.
"I fucking fell," he murmured quietly.
The memory alone made his stomach twist.
The wind had rushed violently against his body as he plummeted downward.
Faster.
And faster.
And faster.
The ground getting closer and closer.
Until.
BAM!
Aiden clenched his fists slightly.
"I woke up instantly," he muttered.
"Almost gave me a fucking heart attack."
His chest tightened just remembering it.
He leaned back again and ran a hand through his messy hair.
"I know I'm not mentally okay," he whispered bitterly.
"I know something's wrong with my head."
Aiden let out a tired laugh with no real humor in it.
"And seriously… this dream bullshit is going to break me even more."
He shook his head.
"Maladaptive daydreaming every damn time… it's like I'm losing my mind."
The words hung in the air.
The room suddenly felt very quiet.
Too quiet.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
He felt exhausted.
Not just physically.
Mentally.
Emotionally.
Like his brain had been running for hours without rest.
Then.
Ding!
The sudden notification sound broke the silence.
Aiden blinked and looked toward the small wooden table beside his bed.
His phone screen lit up faintly in the dim room.
He leaned over and grabbed it, still feeling groggy.
His eyes squinted slightly as the brightness hit his face.
A message notification suddenly appeared on his phone screen.
Ping.
Aiden blinked slowly, his head still heavy from the strange dizziness that refused to fully disappear.
He picked up the phone from the bed and squinted at the screen.
The message was from one of his friends.
Marco.
What is the beginning of this conversation
Aiden frowned slightly.
"…What does this idiot want this early in the morning?" he muttered under his breath.
Still half-awake, he unlocked the phone and opened the chat.
A notification blinked on the screen.
Marco had sent him a message.