Chapter 190 Reappearance
Late that night, as I slept to the gentle breeze and the sound of the ocean waves, I had a dream I hadn't had in a long time.
Like many dreams, after closing my eyes in darkness, I suddenly found myself alone in a place that felt only vaguely familiar.
It seemed to be a city surrounded by many tall, metallic, silver buildings. A surging crowd passed by, shoulder to shoulder, and steel behemoths crawled fiercely in the middle of the road, yet they seemed to be just phantoms. You could not see their specific faces, nor could you feel the collision and friction caused by their misalignment.
I quietly followed the crowd forward, looking around.
The sky was pale white, obscuring the sun. A thick white fog spread inward from the horizon, quietly embracing the entire city. Yet, apart from me, no one noticed this strange phenomenon.
Without trying to do anything attractive, I simply followed a gut feeling and walked forward.
The scenery around me changed several times. Some figures moved like machines through the garden, while others rushed towards the steel behemoths parked by the roadside.
The brick and stone road turned into a long bridge covered with tiles, followed by a little bit of dark black, hard soil. The muddy ground with green grass stalks kissed my heels, and finally I stepped across a long path where red bricks and black stones intertwined.
The white three-story building emerges from behind the deliberately manicured shade of trees, with a red cross adorning the high center. The top of the cross is slightly longer than the bottom, a detail that might be missed if one does not look closely.
Why did I come to this place?
This doubt and confusion lasted only a moment. The next instant, my body, which had moved on its own, led me through the transparent door that opened by itself, and leisurely climbed to the third floor, pushing open a door at the end of the corridor.
Sitting on the raised bed, the child, whose body was covered with numerous tubes, turned his head to look out the window, while the clay-doll-like figure manipulated his slender arms, his eyes filled with death.
It was a child who looked no more than eight or nine years old.
I sat quietly to the side, watching the clay figure walk out the door after completing some unknown task, ignoring me. It then quietly looked out the nearby window at the last green leaf falling from the treetop.
The child, with only light-colored down on his head, watched the green leaf disappear, remained silent for a long time, then suddenly turned his head to look at me and let out a soft sound of surprise.
"Huh? Big brother, who are you?"
The dream, which was becoming clearer and clearer, suddenly shattered here.
It was as if someone had suddenly pushed me backward from a swaying leaf into the deep sea, or lit a fire on the edge of a letter. All the images that had begun to come alive were distorted and deformed, revealing a dark red and black background, and then quickly turned into drifting, fine ashes and dust, leaving no trace.
His body trembled violently for a moment.
I woke up with a start, my eyes widening suddenly. It took me a while to regain focus and get my sluggish brain and senses back to work.
The light-colored metal ceiling reflected a dim, warm light, and the chandelier was not turned on. Although the air inside was refreshed from time to time, there was still a faint, musty smell and a faint scent of rust permeating the room.
Hollow echoes came from all around, and upon closer listening, it was discovered that they were merely the noises produced by the violently beating heart in his chest. The overactive perception instantly covered the entire building, causing his brain to overheat due to receiving too much chaotic information in a short period of time, forcing it to temporarily shut down and restart.
There were no people left behind in the house or nearby.
I confirmed that first.
It seemed to be nighttime, and most of the people, except for those left to keep watch, were asleep.
However, this sleep was not deep, seemingly because of the large amount of stress accumulated recently, with a small amount of subconsciousness still floating on the surface, presenting an alert state.
Of course, there are also a few people wandering in the alleys of the buildings, perhaps getting up at night or unable to sleep, slowly stepping across the smooth floor like ghosts.
Having sensed and observed this, I finally regained some control over my stiff body, slowly moving my fingers to support myself on my elbows, and turning to one side for leverage—
My knees, forearms, palms, cheeks, and jaw all throbbed with a dull, burning pain at the same time, like a paralyzed patient who had been bedridden for years and was unable to control his body. I struggled for a long time before finally managing to stand up, albeit unsteadily, with the help of things around me.
Layers of cold sweat soaked his clothes, making them sticky and clinging to his back. The only lamp that was lit had already fallen over due to the earlier actions, flickering and about to go out.
I snapped my fingers a few times, and tiny flames emerged from my fingertips, replacing the dim lamp to illuminate the sparsely furnished empty room.
I breathed a slight sigh of relief; the smooth functioning of my magic and senses made me feel fortunate, and then I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows.
So, after many days, did I come here again after falling asleep?
It's really strange. What exactly are the conditions for this judgment? Couldn't you just give me a brief instruction manual and tell me to find a convenient big red button to control it?
However, judging from the surrounding environment, it is indeed the room I observed before through the halo that transformed into the [Fool's Curtain].
They actually brought me back here.
I was surprised for a few seconds, then unbuttoned my clothes and carefully examined the body.
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