It took me a moment there, heart pounding, staring at the man who knew more about me than anyone had a right to. My grip on the gun loosened, but my mind was racing. I was lost. Confused. The weight of the decision was pressing in on me—do I trust him, or is this just a clever trap?
Karun was still soundly asleep in the trailer, completely unaware of what was coming. But I knew. And it wasn't good. The timer was ticking down on the next level, every second pulling us closer to whatever nightmare this man was warning us about.
If Karun wasn't injured, I would've told this guy that we didn't need anyone's help, that we could figure it out on our own. But deep down, I knew that wasn't true. We weren't prepared. And something about this man… something felt strangely familiar. Not just because he kept appearing in the game, but because I had seen him before. In my dreams. In nightmares, maybe. He had always been there, lurking at the edges of my mind. Waiting for this moment.
But why?
I shook my head, trying to shove that thought away. This wasn't about dreams. This was real. And I didn't have time to question everything.
I tucked the gun back into its holster and gave him a hard look. "Fine. I'll trust you. But if you try anything, I won't hesitate."
He nodded, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Good decision. Now, let's move. Time's running out, and we need to get to your brother."
We started descending the five-story building as quickly as possible. But as I jumped from the window pane, pain flared through me. My old injury tore open, blood staining the fabric around the wound. The pain was so sharp that tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought them back. There was no time for this. I had to keep moving.
The man turned and noticed my struggle. "Kathy," he said, his voice softer than I expected. It carried a note of concern that I wasn't prepared for.
"No," I snapped, trying to wave him off. "Don't touch me."
But he didn't listen. He knelt beside me and took my ankle gently in his hands. "Let me see it, Kathy," he insisted, voice firm.
I winced as he carefully removed my shoe, examining the wound. The bandage had come loose, and the dressing was soaked through. "This needs to be redone," he said.
"I have bandages back in the trailer," I muttered through clenched teeth.
"How far?" he asked.
"Close. Ten minutes."
He gave me a look, half amusement, half concern. "Stubborn as ever," he muttered under his breath.
I raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Nothing." He smirked. "Let's go. I'll help you."
Reluctantly, I let him pull me to my feet. With my shoe in one hand, I started limping barefoot toward the trailer. Every step felt like fire shooting through my leg, but I gritted my teeth and kept going. I didn't want to accept his help—not from someone this… annoyingly perfect. Too close, too tall, too handsome for my heart to handle right now.
But after what felt like an eternity, we were only twenty feet from where we started, and I couldn't go any further.
The man chuckled softly. "Need help now?"
I glared at him. "Fine," I muttered.
Before I could protest further, he scooped me up in one swift motion, carrying me in a bridal-style hold. I gave him directions, trying not to focus on how my heart thumped in my chest as he held me. He's an NPC, I reminded myself. There's no way he has a heart.
We reached the trailer in just under two minutes, and he set me down gently at the door.