What surprised the boy, however, was that he could not find a single trace of burns on his own body.
Confused and disoriented by the changes happening around him, the boy, who even began to question if he was dreaming, suddenly froze as he surveyed the room.
Because he saw a familiar red embroidered ball. Except now, it was torn and battered, no longer having the eerie chilly aura, and with signs of having been scorched by flame.
"What on earth happened?"
The boy's confusion deepened. He walked over to the collapsed bed out of instinct and tried to lift the board, only for it to crack at his touch. The nearly inch-thick plank revealed a clear fracture.
Stunned by this unbelievable scene, the boy suddenly applied more force and ended up snapping the old bed board that he didn't know how many years it'd been used.
"How... how did I become so strong?"
