[9:00 AM]
Ethan's House – San Bernardino, California...
Inside the only bedroom, Ethan lay asleep, his breathing growing heavier with every passing second.
He tossed and turned, a salty bead of sweat rolling from his forehead down to his cheek.
Until—
"That savage doesn't deserve to be part of our elite society!"
"Oh, damn it! Why did they bring that barbarian back again?"
"He's not a cannibal like us, Gabriel."
Voices danced in his mind. Every time he escaped one, another appeared before him — a faceless black phantom.
But… it had a voice.
His chest rose and fell violently, unable to wake.
Those phantoms toyed with him, twisting him right and left, deeper and deeper inside his own head.
And as his memories' ghosts toyed with him, the largest among them emerged.
Cold black smoke began to seep slowly from the creature,
crawling across the air until darkness swallowed everything.
Ethan froze in place. He knew it wasn't real…
But his gut said otherwise.
The creature stood tall — so tall it nearly touched the ceiling.
Its shadow devoured the light, and the floor itself seemed to shrink beneath Ethan's feet.
GRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!
The phantom's mouth stretched so wide Ethan thought he'd be swallowed whole in that scream.
He clamped his hands over his ears, dropped to his knees, shaking his head violently as he whispered, trembling,
"It's not real… it's not real… it's not real…"
Black smoke poured faster from the phantom's body, flooding the floor.
Ethan squeezed his eyes shut, heart hammering in his chest, whispering through quivering lips:
"I just need my meds… just… my meds."
Silence fell.
Ethan began to calm, slowly, breath by breath.
Moments later, he muttered,
"D-did it… leave me?"
He exhaled deeply through his nose, lifted his head, and began to open his eyes.
The instant he did—
the creature's face was right in front of his.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
He screamed — a raw, piercing sound that made him feel as if he were being devoured alive.
The scream ripped through his mind like lightning.
A flash—
A girl running. Turning back, terrified.
Ethan chased after her, his eyes filled with sorrow and shock.
The girl slammed the bathroom door, locking herself inside.
Ethan lunged forward, body trembling uncontrollably as he tried to force it open.
In his left hand — a knife, dripping blood.
"Open the door!
Mira!"
Ethan shouted, slamming his shoulder against the door to break it down.
Inside, Mira's breathing grew faster and faster, laced with sobs of fear.
"You killed him!"
Mira's voice shrieked from behind the door as she searched for a way out—
BAM! THUD!
The door crashed to the floor.
Ethan stepped inside slowly, tears filling his eyes…
but his smile — stretched unnaturally wide across his face.
Mira fell to the ground, paralyzed by fear.
With every step Ethan took forward, she crawled backward, desperate to escape.
And then—
darkness swallowed the room.
The sound of trembling breaths and a terrified heartbeat cut through the silence.
Ethan opened his eyes, looking around, his head jerking with every twitch of his spine.
His vision blurred.
He raised his hands slowly — all he could see was blood.
He looked past his palms…
and saw Mira lying there. Lifeless.
"Hhh—ah!"
He gasped violently, eyes snapping open.
He sat up fast, his heart racing like a hunted rabbit's.
Ethan glanced around in panic.
"Is this… my house?"
He muttered in disbelief, looking around.
Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw it — black smoke seeping slowly out from the closet.
Ethan tried to move, to run, but his body refused to obey.
hh—hh—hhhhh…
His breathing quickened with his heartbeat.
He jerked his head up—
THUD!!
slamming the back of his skull against the wall behind him.
"My meds!!"
He reached quickly, yanked open the drawer beside him, and grabbed a strip of white pills.
His eyes stayed locked on the closet while his hands moved frantically.
Gulp—hah—!
He swallowed one pill fast, and as it began to take effect, his breathing slowly steadied.
Exhausted, he climbed out of bed and trudged toward the door.
His head still throbbed, but the ghosts… were gone.
Ethan opened the door — and to his surprise, his home gleamed.
To the right, the kitchen — the empty beer bottles were gone.
To the left, the living room — cleaner than it had ever been.
He scratched the back of his head in confusion, muttering as he stepped forward,
"Wait, I was fighting John just now… how did I end up—"
Hhhrrhh... khhhh... hhhrhhk...!
A deep, rumbling snore echoed from the living room, cutting him off.
Ethan froze for a moment, then darted into the kitchen—
Shhhk—!
snatching one of the kitchen knives.
He crept toward the couch, the snoring growing louder.
AH-HAH—!!
Ethan leapt onto the sleeping figure, knife raised high—
but when he looked down...
It was Gabriel beneath him.
Ethan froze midair, eyes wide.
"Oh, damn it! Boss!?"
He instantly tossed the knife away — it flew straight into the expensive TV screen.
"My TV…"
Ethan muttered through clenched teeth, fury bubbling beneath his tone.
Gabriel opened one eye lazily, glancing from Ethan to the situation.
He exhaled sharply through his nose and groaned,
"Can't I sleep in peace… for once!?"
Ethan jumped off him at lightning speed, hurrying toward the kitchen.
"Don't worry, boss, haha! I just thought you were a thief or a murderer—wait a sec,
you're a cannibal… oh damn, that's way worse."
He shrugged sarcastically,
"And I'm a murderer, so who cares? Hehhah."
Gabriel facepalmed in exhaustion.
"Anyway… wake me up in three hours."
— "Why?"
— "Because we've got to be at the morgue by two in the afternoon."
— "As you say, boss."
And just like that, Gabriel drifted back into sleep —
after two sleepless days.
As for Ethan, he stepped out to check on some business.