I had a dream.
It felt like a memory, but I knew it wasn't real.
The strangest part wasn't what happened inside it.
It was how real it felt.
Lately, my dreams had started changing. They were no longer vague or distant. I could feel them. Sense them. Almost like I was living inside them instead of just watching.
But this one was different.
In this dream…
I died.
At first, everything felt normal.
I had power.
Not something simple or explainable—something beyond that. The kind of power that makes you aware of everything around you. But even then, I chose to stay hidden.
I didn't want anyone to know.
Then I heard something.
A voice.
Someone was in danger.
A friend.
That didn't make sense.
In real life, I don't really have friends… just my parents… and Solver.
But in that dream, I knew someone needed me.
So I moved.
I tried to find him.
I searched everywhere, moving faster than I should have been able to. But no matter what I did, I couldn't locate him.
It was frustrating.
Even with power… I was failing.
Then I stopped trying to see.
Instead, I focused.
And somehow… I found a way.
A gate stood in front of me.
Tall. Cold. Unwelcoming.
Two guards blocked the entrance.
"If you want to go inside," one of them said, "you must prove that you are not infected."
Before I could react, they forced me forward.
A needle.
Straight into my face.
The pain was sharp. Real.
Too real.
When they pulled it out, blood burst out like a fountain. I could feel it—every second of it.
It wasn't a dream anymore.
It was torture.
But I endured it.
And I passed.
Inside, I finally found him.
My friend.
He was standing there… completely fine.
No danger.
No threat.
Nothing.
For a moment, anger rose inside me. Everything I went through… for nothing.
But then it faded.
At least he was safe.
Even if it was never real.
Then I felt it.
A burning sensation.
It started from my face… slowly spreading through my body.
And suddenly, I understood.
There was a virus.
It had already spread across the town.
And now…
It was inside me.
Everything started fading.
My body weakened.
My vision blurred.
And just like that…
I die.
I woke up suddenly.
My heart was racing, but I didn't know why.
The feeling was still there… but the reason was gone.
Then I saw it.
A ray of sunlight coming through my window.
It felt warm.
Comforting.
Hopeful.
But I didn't understand why.
After breakfast, I opened my AI system.
Solver.
"Solver," I said, "what did I see yesterday?"
It processed for a moment.
"It appears you created an imaginary figure," it replied. "Possibly due to exam pressure or mental fatigue."
That made sense.
Maybe I was just overthinking.
"Okay," I said.
But then I remembered the dream.
"Solver… I had another dream," I said. "A strange one. I could feel pain inside it."
There was a pause.
"That is progress," Solver replied. "You may have experienced a form of lucid dreaming."
"Progress?" I repeated.
"Yes. In a lucid dream, you can feel sensations. You may also gain control over your environment. It is rare, but possible."
For a moment… I felt excited.
Lucid dreaming.
The ability to control everything.
To fly. To create. To shape reality itself.
It sounded like power.
Real power.
I spent some time with Solver, learning more about psychology.
About control.
About the mind.
By evening, the house felt quieter.
My parents were going out for shopping. They asked me to come along, but I refused. I told them I had something to read.
They didn't argue.
After they left, I picked up my book on dark psychology.
It didn't take long to finish.
But my mind wasn't on the words.
It was still stuck on the dream.
What if something really happened to someone I care about?
What would I do then?
At some point, I fell asleep.
The sound of the doorbell woke me up.
I rushed to the door, still half-asleep, wondering what they had brought.
My parents entered, carrying bags filled with clothes.
I glanced through them casually.
Then I froze.
There it was.
A jacket.
And cargo pants.
Exactly like the figure I had seen.
For a moment…
Nothing made sense anymore.