CH 254

“I think I was… around 12 then…” As I answered, I wondered if a photo like that had ever existed. Then, the brown leather handles of the bicycle jumpstarted my memory.

‘I think that was the first time I had ever ridden a two-wheeled bicycle…’

After falling down a few times, I finally managed to balance and excitedly rode around an open space, though I was still quite wobbly, for about one hour. I was elated to be able to ride the bike without the training wheels.

Shaking myself from that memory, I looked back at [Seo Dawon]. Black smoke was rising from the edges of the picture he was holding.

“Fire…!” Startled, I shouted out automatically. However, the person holding the burning picture stayed calm. It was only then I realized that the [Mage] caused the fire. I bit my lips; [Seo Dawon] smiled down at me.

[How cute.]

After spouting something that sounded pretty ungenuine, he began to rummage through the furniture in the room.

However, something felt off. For some reason, all the old items that the [Mage] picked up looked familiar.

‘That game console…it looks similar to the one I had bought after saving my allowance for an entire month…’

[Seo Dawon] threw it mercilessly onto the ground and stomped on it.

I felt strangely sorrowful as the plastic shell broke and rolled around on the floor. Furthermore, as [Seo Dawon] stomped on the console a few more times, black smoke began puffing up from the scattered pieces. Like the burned picture, the console soon vanished, leaving no traces behind.

This template continued–Seo Dawon acted as if he were determined to destroy everything in this room. I closed my eyes while listening to the cacophany of my treasured items being smashed.

[Ah, finally…]

With [Seo Dawon]’s low exclamation, all sounds disappeared. I opened my eyes cautiously and saw the [Mage] standing in the middle of the desecrated room.

[Seo Dawon] gingerly pulled out a black box from a broken cabinet. The surface of the box was shiny, like metal, and my name was engraved onto the lid. It looked like a safe.

[What’s the password, Lee-kyung-ah?]

“……”

[Seo Dawon] approached me, holding the safe.

On the back, there was a complex dial engraved with a mixture of numbers and English letters. The issue, though, was that I had never seen this box before. I couldn’t possibly guess at its password. “I-I don’t know….”

[Really?]

Pierced with fear, I nodded my head; [Seo Dawon] gripped my neck with one hand.

“Cough, cough…”

[Think carefully. We’re almost there.]

He placed more force in his hands and thrust me onto the bed. I struggled–unable to breathe–but he simply overpowered me. When I felt that I would truly be strangled to death and scratched at his hands, [the Mage] loosened his hold slightly. Just enough to let me breathe.

“Hnghh, Haah…” I gasped.

He repeated that process three times; I lost all my fighting spirit and lay there with closed eyes. Finally, [Seo Dawon] placed his face close to mine.

[There must be something you don’t want to show to anyone?]

Of course, his words should have been meaningless to me, but I finally perceived the identity of that black box.

“Hnngh, Hrrk…” Crying, I turned the dial.

I wanted to live. I wanted to escape this nightmare wearing Seo Dawon’s face.

However, no matter how much I turned the dials, the box showed no signs of opening. My nails broke, caught between the grooves of the spinning numbers, but I couldn’t stop my crazed attempts at opening this thing.

[Click–Click–]

Then–I had no idea what the correct passcode was–I suddenly felt the click of gears interlocking. The lid of the box rattled and moved, as if it were about to clatter over.

As soon as the box showed signs of opening, [Seo Dawon] snatched it away from my hands. The box finished opening at that moment.

[Ah.]

Seo Dawon looked inside and gave a brief exclamation. His expression soon turned quite mysterious. I couldn’t see what was in the box from my position; I simply sat back, breathing deeply.

However, this all felt somewhat ominous.

A bleak chill began to flow out of the box; [Seo Dawon] couldn’t tear his gaze away from its interior. His expression looked distorted–as if he were trying to suppress laughter; either way, he looked ecstatic.

[Is that how you think of me?]

“……”

As I listened to his excited voice, I cautiously moved my arms. The [Mage] still had his eyes trained on the box. Only one thought entered my head when I saw that awful doppelganger.

‘….I have to run away.’

He’ll definitely break my neck next time. I moved cautiously to the edge of the bed without taking my eyes off of him. The tips of my ragged fingernails tingled as they brushed against the blanket.

However, it was already too late. As I was about to fall off the edge of the bed, I was dragged by my wrist towards the [Mage]. The handcuffs he had clasped onto my arms wriggled and dragged me forward with great force. It was futile to struggle.

Tap–

While twisting and turning on the ground, I heard the box’s lid close and plodding footsteps. I vividly felt [Seo Dawon]’s shadow fall over me.

The [Mage] stood by my fallen body for a while before lifting me up. When our eyes met, I couldn’t help but close mine in fear. I could only desperately wish that he wouldn’t torture me if he was going to kill me…

[Lee-kyung-ah.]

That thing called out to me using the voice of someone I liked; when I didn’t open my eyes, he bit my lips. I could feel the simultaneously cold and lukewarm tip of his tongue licking the blood off my lips.

I opened my eyes at that disgusting touch; [Seo Dawon] smiled and asked,

[When you wake up, you’ll forget almost everything, but…]

“…….”

[It’s okay as long as you remember one thing.]

With that said, [Seo Dawon] pushed a dagger between my ribs.

“Ah! Nngh…!” The horrifying pain made my breath catch; soon, blood began to seep out.

It didn’t feel real, even now, so I just stared blankly at his hand. Then, I belatedly grabbed his wrist, but it was far too late. Violent nausea flooded in as my blood spurted outside.

However, that’s when it started.

“Hnnngh…”

[That I’m the one who killed you.]

“Ah, hnnngh…”

[Understand? ‘Seo Dawon’ killed you…]

[Seo Dawon] whispered his name continuously in my ear as I lay there, dying.

I pushed him away and blocked the stab wound with my hand, but the blood kept seeping through the gaps. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Eventually, I slipped in the pool of my own blood and collapsed to the ground. Only then did I feel Seo Dawon pull the dagger out of my side.

The resulting pain was acute, as if I had been cut by paper; soon, the pain swallowed my entire body as if a wildfire was spreading through my nerves. I began to convulse from that pain; [Seo Dawon] stared at me as he gently brushed aside my sweat-drenched bangs.

[I hope this pain lasts for a long while.]

“……”

[Ah, I want to see your face when you reunite with him…]

He laughed quietly, said something incomprehensible, and moved slowly away from my side.

After walking a few steps away, he set fire to the box he was holding and threw it onto the bed. The fire that spread from the box consumed the area around it; the room was soon engulfed by the flames. [Seo Dawon] watched me quietly from outside the perimeter of the fire before vanishing.

Left alone, I slowly lost consciousness. The more I blinked, the darker my vision became. And soon, I couldn’t see anything anymore. However, the pain lasted for a long while. The agonizing sensation only stopped when the fire lapped at my skin, making it feel like my bones were melting.

[You’ve failed the surprise event, ‘Maze of Eternal Dreams.’ Your EXP gain has been slightly reduced.]

[You were mercilessly attacked by the ‘Nightmare!’ What a rare scenario–What a shame.]

[Warning! ‘Choi Lee-kyung’s’ ‘Ego Erosion’ has increased by 15%. Contamination status level: ‘Dangerous’]

[Every time you dream, the chance of being attacked by the ‘Nightmare’ increases slightly.]

[If you fail to gain more ‘control’ over the contracted servants, your ‘Erosion’ will accelerate. Please pay more attention to your intimacy and domination levels with your servants!]

[Time left until ego collapse: ……….]

[Penalty time has started. Please check the countdown time until penalty completion from: setting > List of failed quests > Remaining penalty time! ]

Just when I almost completely lost all eyesight, system messages–countlessly layered atop each other–came into view. However, the letters soon broke and transformed into illegible characters.