Sato woke with a start, his face drenched in sweat. His eyes snapped open, wide and alert. The darkness of his room was punctuated only by thin slivers of moonlight seeping through the blinds, casting eerie patterns on the walls.
It always starts the same way, he thought, his breath heavy in the stillness of the night.
The harsh red digits of his alarm clock read 3:00 AM. Sato sat on the edge of his bed, trembling with residual fear. He reached for the glass of water on his nightstand, his hand shaking as he lifted it to his lips.
Before he could drink, the room began to fade, and he was dragged back into the nightmare: a dark corridor stretched endlessly before him, its lights flickering ominously. Distant, blood-curdling screams echoed through the hallway, filling him with dread.
He ran down the corridor, desperation twisting his features. Ahead, a door loomed. He burst through it, stumbling into a dimly lit laboratory—a chaotic mess of shattered equipment and scattered papers.
In the center of the lab stood Yui, her face contorted with terror.
"Sato, help me!" she cried, her voice trembling.
But Sato was paralyzed by the sight of her clone, grinning wickedly, hands slick with blood, and a pistol aimed directly at him.
"Too late, Sato," the clone sneered.
With a surge of adrenaline, Sato lunged, but the clone fired. The bullet whizzed past him, and the world dissolved into darkness. He fell into a void, memories of Yui flashing around him.
Every time, I fail to save her, his inner voice echoed as he plunged deeper into the abyss.
He hit the ground hard. Staggering to his feet, he found himself in the ruins of the lab—cold and empty. Desperation clawed at him as he searched frantically.
Then he saw her—Yui's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. The clone was gone. Sato dropped to his knees, cradling her in his arms.
"Yui... I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking.
Suddenly, he was back in his bed, gasping for air. Disoriented, but filled with renewed determination, he climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the silence as he splashed his face, trying to wash away the remnants of the nightmare.
"I couldn't save her this time either," he muttered to his reflection, pain and resolve flickering in his eyes.