FIRST CHAPTER : WAKE OF RUIN __He didn't remember himself yet, but he knew pain first. He awoke beneath the rubble, half his face covered in clotted blood, in a world now in ruins. A young man, his head injured, he writhed and groaned in pain and with a throbbing headache. He pushed through the debris, but remained disoriented. He fell from the nursing bed and clutched his stomach in agony.
He looked at the bed he'd been lying on and thought to himself, "Is this a bed?!" Then he saw medical equipment and devices, and realized, "Am I in a hospital? What happened? Am I back?"
He began to regain consciousness and hear the sounds of the world: tremors, explosions, and gunfire. He put on trousers but kept his scrubs on. He went outside to find the hospital in a horrific state: blood and scattered remains, lights flickering, fires burning, and walls shattered. He saw strange weapons, swords, traces of fighting, and the bodies of soldiers. He was terrified and felt as though he were in an unknown world.
He went outside and found devastation: destroyed houses, mutilated bodies, torn shrouds. He recognized the clothes; they were from his familiar world, but the world had changed. He heard screams and distant explosions, helicopters and fighter jets. "Is this war?" he wondered. "Or am I still dreaming?"
He climbed a collapsed building, feeling tremors and strange vibrations in the air that shook his mind. The smoke, the haze, and the darkness of the night made it difficult to see. From the top of the building, he saw a military zone, filled with advanced weaponry and the bodies of soldiers.
Suddenly, a violent tremor, then silence, then the fog dissipated in a wave of air. A huge, terrifying monster appeared, surrounded by soldiers screaming and throwing grenades. The man screamed from the bottom of his heart, tears of hatred and grief streaming down his face.
The sounds in his mind stopped, as if time had frozen. He wept as he thought, "Why is this happening? Where have I been?" Then he calmed down and looked at the military zone. He rushed down and picked up a gleaming sword, as if he knew how to use it.
He ran toward the nearest intact building, and on the way, a monstrous creature with many arms and a head with multiple eyes blocked his path. He didn't stop. He intercepted its attacking arm with his sword, turned, and struck it on the head, splitting it in two. He continued running, stepping over the blood and carnage.
He entered the building and found a modern computer and military equipment. He turned it on and found an available network. "Is this why I woke up?" he wondered. He looked at the date and was stunned: time had jumped forward in a wierd way.
He searched for the last date he could remember, and a news report appeared. He opened a video, carefully holding his sword. It was a news bulletin:
"The mass sleep phenomenon has reached 7% of humanity, about 560 million people. The number is increasing randomly around the world. No scientific cause has yet been discovered, no symptoms, and no one has woken up."
He was in a daze. He remembered that the world had been normal in comparison, despite all its problems: sectarianism, racism, wars, exploitation. It was hopeless, but this was worse.
He searched further and found an article about theories surrounding the "sleep pandemic":
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Theory One: The New Virus
He thought to himself, "A new virus... that makes sense." But the article pointed out that the cases were random and unrelated. "How could a virus be so random?" he wondered. Then he read an explanation suggesting that people were drawn to this idea because it was the only available scientific explanation, and humans tend to favor science because it reduces fear, or perhaps—to be honest—because they are prejudiced against other explanations.
Theory Two: Divine Punishment or a Curse Befallen Humanity
Here he paused for a long time. He read that this theory was supported by religious people and those who believe in metaphysics. But the opposition came from scientists, not only because they didn't believe, but also because they saw it as a supernatural explanation in a material world.
Then he read that even some religious people from religions like Islam, Christianity, and Judaism didn't fully accept the idea because it wasn't mentioned in their scriptures or because it contradicted their beliefs. But the other side of the argument—especially in Islam—believes that everything that happens is related to the Creator. He is all-knowing and aware of destiny, and naturally, He allows it to happen. This doesn't imply evil, but rather wisdom.
"Wisdom..." he whispered. He felt confused and frustrated by the idea of punishment. The article continued: Humans often prefer to follow either science or religion; they see them as parallel paths. Why? Because people view religion as based on a history filled with superstitions, myths, and the supernatural, while science is based on reason and logic. Therefore, they separate the two.
Yes, the history of religion is associated with most myths and supernatural phenomena for which there is no evidence or explanation, but not every religion contradicts what we know.
The Third Theory: The End of the World
"A tragic and hopeless drama. Is there no salvation?"
The Fourth Theory: Something Extinguished or Awakened Within Humanity
"The strangest theory... but that dream I was living..."
The Fifth Theory: Drowning in Dreams
"Strange, but possible."
Sixth Theory: Spiritual Recall
"It's like an isekai story!"
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The research continued: The whole world watched in horror. The numbers were increasing; humanity might all fall asleep. A sense of helplessness hung in the air.
What if... there was a seventh theory... that somehow encompassed all the previous theories, or at least a part or concept of them... a single explanation that brought everything together?
The research led to a turning point... news that changed everything. The sleepers around the world... some of them began to awaken... or rather... they began to return... but not everyone who returned... returned the same...
AUTHOR IG : hm_7_ms3oud