"Hey, Ron, watch out!"
"Huh?"
A ball flew straight at Ron's face, but it was already too late to react. It struck him hard, knocking him backward.
"Ron, Ron! Are you okay?"
"Yeah... I was just thinking about something else."
One of the kids glanced at the sky. "Hey guys, it's getting late. Let's head home."
"Oh, it's already getting dark. Let's meet again tomorrow."
One by one, everyone started leaving.
Ron stood still for a moment, rubbing his forehead
What's happening to me? Why do I keep blanking out like this? And the number of times I've dazed off lately... it's getting worse.
Shaking it off, he turned and ran toward his house.
"Hey, Mom, I'm back," he called as he stepped inside.
"Go wash up, dinner's ready," she replied from the kitchen.
"Okay, Mom."
Ron entered the dining room. His younger sister was already eating.
"Did you wash your hands?" his mom called from the kitchen.
"I did," Ron replied.
He pulled out a chair and sat down as his mom came over to serve him food.
The warmth of the dish hit his face, and for a moment, the smell felt comfortingly familiar.
He began eating slowly. Once everyone had finished their meal, his mom started cleaning the table.
Ron wandered into the living room, dropped onto the couch, and turned on the TV.
A voice came from the TV — a calm, composed news anchor with glasses, looking directly at the camera.
"According to a research paper released by the Stellar Institute, the temperature will continue to drop and could fall below minus ten degrees — or even lower. Citizens are advised not to leave city boundaries. The military is already prepared for the situation."
She continued, her tone unchanging.
"City protection barriers have been upgraded in all A-tier cities. B-tier cities are also expected to remain stable under active guard. However, residents in C-tier and lower zones should remain on high alert. It is strongly recommended that people in these areas stock enough food and supplies for two to three months."
As the news anchor continued explaining which areas would be most affected by the temperature drop, Ron stared at the screen, barely blinking.
Their mom walked in, drying her hands on a towel. "Oh my god… the weather's getting worse — and your dad is still out working."
"Don't worry, Mom," Ron said quietly. "He's at the Stellar Institute. They'll keep him safe."
His sister snapped, her words laced with frustration. "Yeah. Even if the rest of us froze to death, he will still be fine."
"Hey, Elia," their mother said gently but firmly, "don't speak like that. He's doing this for us."
"Humph." Elia scoffed, then turned and stormed down the hallway.
A second later, her bedroom door slammed shut, rattling the frame.
Ron stood in the hallway for a moment after the slam of Elia's door echoed through the house.
He let out a soft sigh and quietly pushed open the door to his room.
The familiar creak of the hinges followed him as he stepped inside and gently shut the door behind him.
His room was still brightly lit. Without bothering to change or even kick off his shoes, he walked over and collapsed onto the bed.
He lay there, staring up at the ceiling
Slowly, his vision began to darken. A creeping shadow crawled over everything — like the room itself was being devoured.
The light didn't fade from the bulb.
It faded from his eyes.
"Huh… what's going on?" he whispered, confused, just before the last sliver of light vanished.
"Where… am I?"
Ron stood in complete darkness.
There was nothing — just an endless darkness covering on all sides.
Suddenly, he felt something.
It wasn't sight or sound, but a presence. Something alive in the dark.
And somehow, his body began to move toward it — not by choice, but like he was being pulled.
With each step, his thoughts grew distant, hazy.
He felt… hollow. Like something was slipping into him, replacing him.
He was being possessed.
Just as he was about to vanish into the darkness — swallowed whole — a sudden gust of wind surged through the darkness.
It wasn't just wind. It felt like raw energy, ancient and wild, and it tore through the darkness, scattering it like smoke.
Ron gasped and jolted upright in bed, heart pounding, breath sharp.
The lights were still on.
But everything felt… real
"Huh, what was that a bad dream but it felt so real"