I slowly opened my eyes.
My vision was blurry, as if shrouded in a thick red mist. That color flooded everything—red, deep, warm. My head throbbed violently. My body felt heavy, like it was sinking into mud. Something warm was trickling down my face. Droplets landed on my eyelids. Sticky. Warm. With trembling hands, I wiped it away.
"…This isn't water."
It was… blood.
"Huh…?" I muttered in disbelief.
"Why is there blood?"
I tried to sit up, but my body refused. My legs were stiff, and pain spread from my skull down my spine. A high-pitched ringing assaulted my ears, forcing a groan from my throat. Slowly, my senses returned. A sharp, metallic stench filled my nose. My blurry vision sharpened—and the world around me...This land was no longer land. It was a sea of blood. Thick and stagnant, flooding everything—even me.
Then, a horrifying sound shattered the silence.
Whoosh!
Wings. Enormous. Heavy. The earth trembled beneath their weight. I looked up. Above me…A dragon. That winged behemoth hovered in the sky—majestic and savage. One flap sent shockwaves through the ground. I didn't have time to think. Didn't even have time to move. The air suddenly ignited. One breath from that dragon turned the world into fire.
I could only stare, frozen, as the flames swallowed me whole.
Hot.
My skin blistered. My flesh melted. My bones… cracked and crumbled.
Hot—hot—hot—HOT—HOTT—
I wanted to scream. But no sound came out. There was only fire, and the slow fading of consciousness. Everything turned white—Then black.
In that darkness, silence stretched like an endless void.
And then…Something.
...A voice?
Faint. Distant. But calming.
Paul…
Someone—or perhaps something—was calling me.
Paul…
The voice came from every direction. Gentle, yet piercing. Strange, but… familiar.
PAUL—
Paul woke up.
His body trembled violently. His breathing ragged. His chest felt tight, like he'd just clawed his way out of hell. Cold sweat clung to his skin.
He reached for his face.
"…I'm still alive?"
The mirror beside his bed reflected his image. That face—pale, eyes wide open, breath uneven—looked like someone who had just seen death. Slowly, his breathing calmed. His expression returned to its usual blankness. He stared at the mirror for a long while. That pale face. Empty eyes like those of a dead fish stared back at him. Black hair, slightly wavy, fell over his forehead—still damp with sweat. A faint scar rested beneath his left eye.
Then, a faint smile formed. Followed by a hollow laugh.
"…Just a dream, huh."
Brakkk!!
The door swung open with a loud thud.
Paul stepped out, his movements quiet and calm. His hand gripped the staircase railing with slightly too much force as he descended. His mother was in the living room, busy arranging things. Seeing Paul heading for the door, she asked softly,
"Where are you going?"
Paul didn't turn around. His hand was already on the doorknob.
"For a walk," he answered curtly.
Without waiting for a response, he stepped outside.
Brakkk!!
The sky was already dark, though night hadn't fully arrived. Clouds hung low and heavy, swallowing what little twilight remained. The cold air bit into his skin, but he didn't shiver. The thin black jacket he wore did little to shield him from the wind.
"Ah… cloudy," he muttered, his voice swallowed by the wind.
He walked aimlessly, wandering through the quiet city streets until he reached a small, almost hidden bus stop. The bus that arrived was empty. Only two other passengers—silent, like him. When he got off, the rain began. Light droplets quickly turned into a downpour. Paul sat on the bench, hunched over, eyes vacant. Rain soaked the side of his pants. But he didn't care. A single thought slowly formed. Not emotion. Not sorrow. Just… a decision.
He stood.
His feet carried him to an empty intersection. Beneath the flickering streetlight, shadows stretched long. And at the end of the road…Someone stood.
But something was wrong. Their shadow didn't touch the ground. Their face… was impossible to see.
Paul stopped.
"…Huh?"
Only for a moment. He looked away, pretending not to care. Maybe a trick of the light. Or maybe his mind was starting to break. He kept walking. Leaving the city behind. Heading somewhere quieter.
Until finally…
He reached an old bridge. The river below rushed fiercely—black and deep. No one else was around. Only the sound of rain and water crashing against rocks. Paul stood at the edge. Staring down. His hands gripped the iron railing. His knees trembled.
"One step… and it would all be over."
But his body wouldn't move.
Fear crept in, clenching his heart.
"…Damn it," he muttered through clenched teeth.
'Why am I scared now?'
His breath was heavy. Then he laughed. Light. Cynical.
"…I really am a coward, huh?"
He took a step back. But before he could retreat completely—Footsteps.Soft… behind him. Paul turned. Nothing. But that was the moment—his foot slipped.The wet railing gave him no grip.
"Ah—!"
'You've gotta be kidding me!'
His body fell. The world spun.
SPLASH!!
The water welcomed him with brutal cold. The current dragged him into darkness.
'Shit… I can't breathe… Help…'
'Am I going to die… like this?.. So-'
His consciousness faded. And when his eyes opened again—Paul woke up.
But this time…The world he saw was no longer the one he knew.