The dream ended with my painless death once again. At this point, I knew I was dreaming because the moment I opened my eyes, I found myself back inside the truck.
I knew this was a dream because I didn't remember falling asleep inside the truck. This meant I was still asleep back at my home. I couldn't explain what was happening to me..
For now, the only thing I need to focus on is why this dream keeps repeating—and how I can wake up.
I stepped off the truck and walked right into the middle of the fight. The gunfire stopped abruptly as everyone turned their attention to me, shocked by what I was doing. In my mind, there was nothing—no fear, no panic—just an eerie blankness and overwhelming curiosity.
A total of 25 guns were now aimed at me, both the terrorists and smugglers watching me warily. Their eyes fixated on one thing: my gray eyes. I didn't know why my eyes were so important to them, but I wasn't thinking about that. All I could wonder was, What happens if I die here?
I darted into the jungle to the left of the
truck, using the chaos to my advantage. My
sudden movement distracted both sides.
Five of the terrorists immediately broke off
to chase me, while the rest resumed their
gunfire against the smugglers.
Before all this, I had whispered to the other
captive teenagers,
"When their attention shifts to me, quietly head toward the right side of the jungle and escape."
"They should have been escaped by now."
I spoke to myself, panting from the
exhaustion of running. Though I couldn't
feel death or pain here, every other
emotion hit me clearly--anger, fear,
happiness, tiredness, everything. I thought
about the situation: Five of them are
coming after me. First, I need to free my
hands.
I ran to the exact tree where I had hidden in
my dream before. Using its sharp edge, I
finally freed my hands, then crouched
behind the same spot as before. The five of
them were searching the area for me, their
eyes scanning the surroundings.
Two of them noticed the same wooden log
in the water that wasn't actually a log--it
was a Humacroc. I stayed still, watching and
waiting as they moved closer to the shore
Once they were within reach, I took my
chance.
I lunged forward and kicked them both into
the water, catching them completely off
guard. One of their guns slipped from a
hand and hit the ground. I grabbed it
without hesitation and quickly climbed
back up the tree.
The remaining three rushed back after
hearing the commotion. They saw the
Humacroc thrashing in the water and
immediately opened fire, killing it. As they
lowered their weapons,I gripped the light
gun tightly.
From my position above, I aimed at them. It
was daytime, and the subtle glow from the
light gun went unnoticed in the sunlight.
Taking advantage of their obliviousness, I
fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three of them fell, lifeless.
Then the rest of the terrorists arrived--five
of them remaining, including their leader.
They were carefully scanning the area,
searching for me. But I wasn't in the same
spot anymore. I had already changed my
position.
This time, 1 hid in the tree where 1 had
taken down five of them in a straight line
during the dream before. From there,1
aimed the light gun at the leader of the
group, focusing on his head.
I held my breath and steadied my aim. But
then, something distracted me--a flicker of
light.
Bang!
A shot rang out from the side of the
terrorists. I looked at the leader, only to see
him turning his head toward me with a
knowing smile, as if he had been aware of
my presence the entire time. My heart
sank...and then I noticed the light wasn't
coming from him-it was coming from my
body.
My heart was
gone, vanished into nothingness
I should've been dead. My vision should
have gone black, but it didn't--at least, not
immediately. That's when I realized: I only
return to the beginning of the dream
once I am completely gone.
fell from the tree, free-falling through the
air. This time, I wasn't afraid. There was no
fear, no dread--only exhilaration. I laughed
looking down at the leader. His face twisted
in shock as he watched me.
I hit the river below with a resounding
splash, sinking into the depths where the
Humacrocs waited. Once again, their jaws
tore into me, but I felt nothing. Everything
turned black.
A distant light began to glow, shining
brightly in the void. Drawn to it, I moved
closer, reaching out to it.
And then, the dream ended.
I woke up-not in reality, but within the
dream again. This time, the scene had
shifted. It was moments after I had killed
the five terrorists who were chasing me
before encountering the leader's group
I thought, If l can survive this, maybe l'll
wake up, since there would no longer be
any danger to my life.
But then I saw the leader approaching
accompanied by the remaining four
terrorists. The only weapon I had to face
them was the gun. This gun is the key, I
thought. Without it, I stood no chance.
It was one versus five. I believed I could use
the tree branches to stay out of reach,
moving swiftly to outmaneuver them. But
then, I wondered-
"How could he have spotted me?"
The Golden Eyes were known to be immune
to flashes or anything related to light, but
the leader wasn't one of them-he was
human. Somehow, he could detect unusual
light, even during the day. I gripped the gun
tightly, thinking,
"What should I do? I need to kill him before they find me."
As these thoughts raced through my mind, I
watched them searching for me. Thankfully
the leader hadn't noticed me yet, as the
gun remained hidden behind my back.
I thought, If I can separate them, I can take them down one by one.
I had nothing to lose. I couldn't truly die here. I had as many chances as I needed. If I failed, I would just restart from here and keep trying until I found a way to defeat them.
This was driving me insane—but not in a bad way. For the first time, I wasn't bored, scared, or in pain. Nothing. Just pure, unfiltered excitement.
I felt like I could take them down if I truly wanted to. The rush, the thrill—it was intoxicating.
Should I try taking them on head-on?
Was it adrenaline? I didn't know, but it felt like I was playing with fire while standing on the edge of an ocean. I could feel my blood pumping through me, my heart racing with every passing second.
For the first time, I didn't feel weak or outmatched—I felt like I was as strong as them. It wasn't bravery or courage driving me—it was pure excitement, an insatiable desire for revenge.
Lost in my thoughts, 1 forgot one crucial
thing--/ was trapped in a dream. No matter
what, I couldn't escape. As I grew careless
frozen in place, they noticed me.
Snapping back to reality, I immediately
opened fire. Four bullets dropped three of
them. Only the leader and his subordinate
were left.
I quickly changed my position, moving
carefully, avoiding their shots. The ALR
needed time to recharge; its firepower
wasn't instantaneous. I used that window to
my advantage, picking off the subordinate
with about ten or twelve shots.
Now, it was just the leader. I aimed and
fired, but he dodged it with impressive
precision. He was experienced-definitely a
leader. My bullets ran dry, and my gun
began its recharge cycle.
His weapon, however, recharged quickly
Without hesitation, he switched to
close-range combat. But I kept my distance
waiting for my gun to power up so I could
finish this. Five seconds. Five seconds, they
felt like an eternity.
Then, his gun recharged in just three
seconds. He wasted no time and opened
fire.
It was fascinating-- his speed, his skill. He
fired five rounds. All of them hit me.
Two in my left hand, one in my heart, and
two in the side of my belly.
Yet, I felt nothing. A smile spread across my
face, excitement flooding my veins.
With a sudden burst of movement, I jumped
in front of him, closer. His gun was pointing directly at me. Slowly, I took a step forward, determined.
He fired another round straight into my
heart, then emptied the rest of his clip
It was getting darker and darker, but I
wasn't afraid. I looked at his face and knew
I can't die here-I was smiling, filled with joy, with anticipation.
"I'm going to kill you head-on next time."
And then, everything went black again.
I reached for the light in the distance. It felt
different this time--it felt fun. This time, I'd
finish it. Head-on.
This time, the scene was different again. I
was perched in the tree, just like before
when I had been lost in thought. But this
time, I took aim at the other three
terrorists, and with a single, swift action, I
killed them. I was being efficient--saving
my bullets for the final confrontation.
I quickly shifted position, concealing the
gun behind me. Only the leader and his
subordinate remained. They knew where
was-up in the tree--but they couldn't see
me. So, they began firing at every tree in
my direction.
Their clips emptied quickly, and their guns
began to recharge. Perfect.
I took my chance and killed the subordinate
first, preserving about ten bullets in my
clip. Without hesitation, I jumped down
from the tree directly in front of the leader.
The three seconds of his gun's recharge
were over, and he reacted in desperation
trying to fire at me.
But I was faster. I aimed for his hand, fired,
and watched as it vanished before his eyes
Pain.
He screamed. But I felt nothing.
I couldn't hold back a laugh.
"This isn't the first time I've used this gun, you know."
"How? How had I become so skilled?"
The answer was simple: Every time I died,
every time I was killed by him, the dream
reset-and each time. This continued about 4 times after the confrontation with him head on.
I learned more about how to use the gun, how to handle him.
I had died by his bullets, again and again for four times,telling him,
" I'll kill you head-on next time."
But each death had brought me closer, each
loop made me more experienced.
Now, it was his turn to die.
I smiled and said,
"See you in reality."
And with that, I finally killed him in the dream.
But the dream didn't end. Why?
I didn't know. A wave of panic hit me. Why
can't I get back?
I started to freak out, my thoughts
spinning. It felt as if I might be trapped in
this endless loop forever. For half an hour,I
panicked, unable to think clearly.
Then, slowly, I managed to calm myself
down. Iforced myself to breathe, to analyze
everything that had happened in my dream,
A pattern. There was always a reset point-
the moment I died. Every time I died, the
dream started over. But it was always at the
hands of my enemies. What if.
"What if l kill myself?"
"Would I finally wake up? Would I break the
loop? Or would I be trapped here forever,
caught in an endless cycle of death?"
It was the only idea that made sense, the
only hope I had left.
I was nervous, my hands shaking. There was
a hesitation deep inside me, but i forced it
away. This might be the only way out. I had
no choice.
I raised the light gun to my chest.
"This is the only way"
And then, with a steady breath, I pulled the
trigger.
This time, everything went white. I was
swallowed by the brightness, but then, a
dark, thick smoke slowly began to creep
over everything, obscuring my
surroundings.
"What is that..."
I said, my voice filled with shock and confusion.
Before I could process anything further,
everything faded to black.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at
a restart point--again.
I was in the tree, the familiar tree where I
had freed myself from the tied hands. I
sighed a little in relief, but I was also
cautious. I knew what was at stake. I
couldn't afford to die by my enemies again
-it would only trap me deeper in this
endless cycle.
I stayed still, watching as the two terrorists
made their way toward the shore. The same
routine, the same steps. I waited for them
to get close, then I kicked them into the
water, just like before. One gun fell, and I
grabbed it quickly.
Without hesitation, I shot myself.
I thought to myself, If I return to the truck
this time, maybe--just maybe--I can finally
understand what's happening.
Once again, the blinding white light enveloped me, and the black fog crept back, slowly painting the surrounding chaos. It felt like déjà vu, like I was stuck in an endless cycle that I couldn't escape.
And then, as if nothing had changed, I opened my eyes—inside the truck.
I felt it again. The excitement,the adrenaline.
Was I finally breaking free from this
damned dream? I was halfway through.
But I knew I couldn't rush it. I couldn't let
the cycle repeat the same way. This time, I
needed to avoid dying at the hands of the
enemies.
I couldn't find a way to kill myself directly
not yet. So I waited. I don't need to die
immediately. I remember-if I kill myself this time, I'll skip the restart point. I have to change things first.
I made my way into the jungle again, to the
left of the truck. The terrorists followed as
usual. They killed the other teenagers who
were behind me, just like before.
Everything felt so familiar--same spot
same tree, same method. I killed both of
the terrorists, just like I had countless
times before. I grabbed their guns, their
light guns, and... killed myself again.
The same process repeated itself--the
blinding white light, the creeping black fog.
It didn't amuse me anymore; it barely
registered as anything remarkable. It was
just another part of this endless cycle.
This time, when i opened my eyes, I was in
my house.
I knew the end of this nightmare was within
my grasp. Just one more time.
I no longer felt pain here. I no longer feared
death, because it had no real weight in this
dream. Yet, despite that understanding, I
felt a flicker of nervousness.
Why?
Because this time... this time, I wouldn't
wake up here again. I would wake up in
reality.
My heart began pounding in my chest,
faster and harder than ever before. It
wasn't fear. It wasn't dread. It was intensity
-pure, unfiltered intensity
I moved through the house until I found a
sharp knife, glinting under the faint light. I
took it in my hand, gripping it tightly. My
breathing quickened as the reality of what I
had to do settled in.
It's just one more step...just one more step
to escape.
I held the knife against my skin, steady but
firm. I was ready. Just as I was about to
drive it in-
A loud, grating noise stopped me
The truck.
It had arrived at the village.
I paused. My grip on the knife tightened,
but I didn't strike. Not yet
Instead, I made a loud noise--loud enough
to draw their attention
The smugglers turned, their guns instantly
trained on me.
I didn't move. Careful, or maybe just
careless, I stood my ground. With a vengeful
smile curling my lips, I locked eyes with
them. They looked at me, and I made sure
they noticed-really noticed-my gray eyes.
"You've already lost, I said, my voice cold
and steady.
"The moment you entered this
village, your fate was sealed. I've killed all
of you before... and now l'm finally going to
kill you for real."
I tilted my head slightly, holding their gaze
"See you again", I whispered,..
Without hesitation, I drew the knife across
my throat, cutting it open in a clean, swift
motion.
As always, I felt nothing.
But something was different this time.
There was no black fog.
No white light.
Only silence.
And then, just like that...I woke up.