"Stop…"
"Please… just let me die…"
"Finally… I'm finally dead…?"
It was as if time stopped. Everyone in the world stopped moving. The sun, now red, lit the sky in a bloody red. Trees everywhere were either burning or had already long died. The pleas of the people were always the same.
"Stop…"
"Please… just let me die…"
"Finally… I'm finally dead…?"
These were words I kept hearing. Every single time. And yet, it felt like I was just watching from a distance. Was I a spectator? Or was I the cause? This scene felt familiar, and yet, completely unfamiliar. And as the people screaming finally perished along with their pleas, time rewound. The ashes of the dead slowly retraced their steps, reforming their bodies. In the blink of an eye, the sky was now blue once again.
"Is it over?... Wait… why am I back here?" One revived human slowly realized what had happened.
"Wha-... no… not… not again… no… No… NO…! NOOOO!! AHHHHHHH!"
Everyone started panicking once more as if it was not a miracle that they were brought back to life. Instead of cherishing their lives that were brought back. People started cursing it. As if it was a curse rather than a blessing that they were now back.
"If the outcome won't change… I'll change it myself!"
One man, eyes wild as if he was finally driven to madness, pulled out a small knife and began slitting his throat. Another, an elf, decided to jump off a building. One by one, the humans, elves, beastkin, even the demons, had started a suicide spree. And me? I felt nothing. Was it emptiness? Or was this just a reflection of how numb I have become after losing so many things along my journey?
As the street littered with dead bodies, the sky turned red once more. And in just one short moment, everything rewound once more. All the dead people came back to life once more. Shocked, anger, defeat, hopelessness, the hundreds of emotions ran across the faces of the people who were brought back to life once more.
"Ha… hahah… HHAHAHAAHAH!!!"
Laughter. It was at this point in time where the earthlings knew that no matter what they did, they could not escape. It was as if they were held hostage. All they could do now was laugh. Not genuinely. But none of the living beings seemed like they were of sane minds anymore. At one point, one man stood up, it was the same man who first took out his knife to slit his own throat. Instead of slitting his own throat now, he slowly walked towards another, all while still laughing, before stabbing the person. As the latter lay dead on the floor, the rest of the people stood up, before doing the same. They had started killing each other."
"If we can't change anything… might as well enjoy it!"
It was at this point where one of them finally looked at me. Laughing, he started running towards me holding a sharp object.
"Hahah… HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!"
"AH!" Kei had yelled as he had bounced up from his bed.
He slowly sat up on his bed, sweat dripping from his neck as he was completely soaked all over. It was now morning. Birds outside his windows were chirping away without a care in the world.
"It's been a while since I had that dream…? Actually, no, what the hell was that dream?"
For a moment, Kei said instinctively as if he has had that dream multiple times in his life. But slowly, he realised that he doesn't have any recollection of the dream ever happening. Does he not remember? Or was he just too tired and exhausted from the recent happenings?
"Kei! Are you okay?!"
Celena had barged into the room shortly after Kei had woken up. It seemed that one of the guards who were stationed outside his room to look after Kei heard the screams coming from Kei in his sleep. Unsure of what to do, he had informed Charlotte the maid who in turn instantly ran to inform Celena before proceeding to inform Lucia and Eric.
"We heard screams, so I came running as quickly as I could. Are you okay?"
Celena seemed genuinely worried about him. For one, it was out of the guilt that she may have caused this due to what happened in the past few days, but the other, it was out of genuine worry of his wellbeing. Kei, noticing this, quickly tried to downplay the situation.
"It's… fine. There's nothing wrong with me. It was just a bad dream, that's all."
"Really? You're really fine?"
"Mmm… don't need to worry about me here."
"O… Okay then… But! But if you ever feel anything… Please let me know. Anything at all. It would be shameful of me as a Lestia to allow a guest I've wronged to suffer."
"I'll… I'll keep that in mind then."
After receiving reassurance from Kei, Celena proceeded to take a seat on the chair beside Kei's bed. With a worried expression, she proceeded to ask the question.
"Umm… I know it's rude for one to ask another about their personal life but… What were you doing in those woods?"
After all, the Forest of Kurgat was one that was littered with magic beasts. No sane person would've gone into it willingly. People who entered willingly probably had strength rivalling armies or were hoping to die. Celena was worried the reason would be the latter, hence the question.
"Hah… no particular reason. Someone told me that it would be the fastest way to get to Babel. Didn't think it would be that crazy littered with beasts though."
Kei chose to throw Celena off by having her think he was tricked into going into the forest instead of being of his own volition. That way, she would ask less questions that would seem a little too invasive.
"I see… A-anyways, breakfast is ready. And father would like to discuss something with you. Would it be okay for you to be ready and be at the dining hall in about ten minutes?"
"Sure." Kei nodded.