The alarm buzzed, harsh and loud, yanking me out of sleep.
My heart was still racing from the dream, that strange nightmare that left me feeling… wrong. Dark halls, a figure kneeling, armor red as blood, light so bright it burned my eyes. I shook my head. Just a dream. Nothing more.
I swung my legs off the bed and stood up. My room was small, tidy, nothing special. Everything in its place. Safe, comfortable but there was something off today. I couldn't tell what. A picture crooked on the wall, the faint smell of old books… little things that shouldn't matter, but did.
I shook my head and threw all the thoughts away, i know it was probably nothing and just the result of my exhausted day at work yesterday
Yes
That was probably it
I made the bed, folded the blanket neatly, and brewed coffee. Strong coffee, the kind that made your throat sting in the morning. Brushed my teeth, showered, dried off, got dressed. Same as always. I looked around one more time. Everything was neat. Everything was in order. And yet… it didn't feel right.
I grabbed my bag and stepped outside.
I slipped on my earphones as soon as I stepped outside, the chill of the morning air brushing against my face. The city was just waking up traffic lights blinking, a few cars rolling past, the smell of bread from the bakery on the corner.
I hit play. Hard rock filled my ears, heavy guitar riffs cutting through the quiet. It made the twenty-minute walk to work feel less empty.
At first, I watched the street like I always did. People rushing, bikes weaving through traffic, a kid dragging his mom toward a food stall. But as the music settled in, my mind drifted.
Wouldn't it be nice to have my own way to get around? A car, maybe a scooter. Just hop in and go wherever I wanted no packed trains, no long walks.
I snorted under my breath. Yeah, right. Gas, insurance, parking… I barely covered rent and groceries. Fantasy over.
I sighed and closed my eyes for a second, letting the music drown everything out.
"Lucien!" My eyes snapped open. Next thing I knew, I was at my desk.
Mr. T, as everyone called him stood beside me, tapping the edge of my monitor like a drumstick. "The report. It's still not finished."
I straightened in my chair. "I'm working on it, sir. Just need a little more time."
He frowned. "It's due today. No more delays, got it?"
"Got it," I said, keeping my voice even.
I cracked my knuckles and started typing, the keyboard clacking like steady rain. Numbers, dates, invoices one after another. I lost track of how many files I'd already sorted. The stack of paperwork on my desk kept growing anyway. I liked a clean desk, but today it felt like I was shoveling snow in a blizzard.
"Hey, Lucien." Mark from accounting leaned over the divider, holding a folder. "Cancel that file I gave you earlier, okay? The client changed their mind."
"Yeah, sure," I said without looking up. My fingers kept moving, eyes fixed on the screen.
He nodded and disappeared. I kept typing. The music in my earbuds was long gone; now it was just the hum of air-conditioning and the dull buzz of fluorescent lights.
My mind wandered. That travel video from last night floated back someone climbing a mountain, wide sky above them. I pictured what it might feel like to stand there, wind in my face, no deadlines waiting.
A notification blinked. I hit send without thinking. A sharp ping confirmed the upload.
Then it hit me.
The file.The one Mark told me to cancel.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. I rubbed my forehead hard. I'd processed it anyway. Rookie mistake. I'd have to dig through the system to pull it back, probably stay late to fix it.
I sighed. "I'll sort it out before dusk," I promised myself, though it sounded more like a plea.
Before I could even open the database again, a soft voice cut through the office noise.
"Lucien? Could you help me with something?" I turned. Hana stood there with a stack of papers hugged to her chest, her face pinched with frustration.
"Sure," I said, forcing a smile despite the knot in my stomach. "What's wrong?"
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "This report's a mess. I've checked the numbers three times, and they still don't add up. Can you take a look? You're better at this."
Deadlines, my own mistake, the mess waiting for me it all pressed in. But Hana looked so tired, and helping was second nature.
"Yeah," I said, pushing my chair back. "Let's see what's going on."
I slid over to her desk, scanning the sheets while she explained.
I skimmed the numbers while Hana stood beside me, fidgeting with a pen. It didn't take long to spot the problem.
"Here," I said, tapping a column. "This formula's pulling from the wrong cell. It's doubling everything."
Her eyes widened. "I…how did I miss that?"
"It happens," I said. "Easy fix. Just correct the reference and the totals will match."
She let out a long breath. "You just saved me an hour, maybe more."
I shrugged. "Glad to help."
For a moment, the tension around us eased. Hana gave me a small, tired smile the kind that felt like a quiet thank-you without words. I smiled back, but inside my chest the weight of my own mistake pressed harder.
"I'll get this fixed right away," she said, gathering the pages. "You're a lifesaver, Lucien."
"Don't mention it," I replied, already turning back to my desk.
The monitor glared at me, the red notification blinking like an accusation. The file I shouldn't have sent. The clock kept ticking. My shoulders tightened.
Back to work. I cracked my knuckles again and opened the database, the office sounds fading until it was just me, the clatter of keys, and that uneasy silence that always followed when my thoughts drifted too far.
By the time I finally sent the report, the sun was already leaning toward the windows, making everything in the office look a little too orange. Mr. T called me into his office not long after.
He didn't even look mad. "Good work, Lucien. This is solid," he said, flipping through the pages. "But next time, don't cut it so close. We can't always wait on you."
I just nodded. "Understood."
"Alright. Keep it up." He waved me off, already looking at the next stack of papers.
Back at my desk, the mess of half-done files still waited. I went straight to fixing the earlier mistake, scanning lines of numbers until they stopped blurring. Hana paused on her way out and gave a small wave.
"Night, Lucien."
I barely looked up. "Yeah. Night."
She hesitated like she might say something else, then left. The sound of her footsteps faded, and the office slowly emptied until only the faint hum of the lights remained. My fingers kept moving, chasing the corrections, until I finally saved the last file.
When I glanced at the clock, it was nearly nine. The building felt hollow, the kind of quiet that makes you notice every breath.
The office was dead quiet now. Everyone else had gone home hours ago, leaving only the soft hum of the ceiling lights and the steady glow of my monitor. Paperwork was stacked in neat piles around me, every pen lined up just so....still it all felt…off.
I leaned back in my chair and stared at the clock on the wall.Tick.Tick.Tick.
Tick....
Each sound dragged through the silence, sharper than it should've been.
After a while the ticking didn't sound like a clock at all.It was heavier, like metal on stone, boots echoing down a cold hall.A sword scraping against the floor.The dream again: the long shadow, the bleeding statue, the feeling that something was waiting in the dark.
My chest tightened. I pressed my palms over my eyes until I saw spots. "Get a grip," I whispered.
When I looked again the office was the same as always empty, harmless, ordinary. The clock kept its steady beat, nothing more. But the images clung to the back of my mind, like I'd really been there.
I finally shut the computer down and packed up, rubbing my eyes until the screen's afterglow faded. My stomach reminded me I hadn't eaten since lunch, but the thought of cooking something from scratch made me even more tired. Maybe a burger from the place around the corner. Easy.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and pushed through the glass doors into the night air cool, a little damp.
Someone was leaning against the low wall by the entrance.
"Hana?" I stopped, surprised.
She straightened and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair was long and straight, the kind that caught the streetlight in thin silver lines. Pretty eyes, sharp features. We were about the same age, maybe she a year younger.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"It didn't feel right, you sitting up there alone," she said. "So I waited. You heading for dinner?"
"Yeah. Was going to order something quick."
Her smile tilted. "Mind if I join you?"
I shook my head. "Sure. Saves me from eating in silence."
She fell into step beside me as we started down the sidewalk, the city quiet except for the buzz of a neon sign and the distant rush of late traffic..
We fell into an easy rhythm as we walked. Hana asked how the report went, so I told her how I'd made a simple mistake early on and spent the whole afternoon untangling it, only to mess up a file anyway piling up my work as i created even more problems for myself.
She bumped my shoulder lightly. "It's okay. People make mistakes. Even you, Mr. Perfect Desk."
I snorted. "Yeah, but it feels like I'm slipping lately."
"Then you just catch yourself," she said, as if it were that simple.
By the time we reached the burger place, the smell of grilled meat and fryer oil was already drifting out the door. The neon sign buzzed a steady green hum. We ordered without even looking at the menu our usual and grabbed a small table by the window.
For a while we just ate. The place was half full, the sound of clinking trays and soda machines a soft backdrop. Hana finally tilted her head, studying me.
"You've been off the past few days," she said. "Something wrong?"
I stared at the burger in my hands, suddenly less hungry. "Just… weird dreams," I said after a pause.
Her eyes softened. "What kind of dreams?"
"Hard to explain. Dark. Like… a nightmare that doesn't feel like a normal nightmare. And it keeps coming back." I took a slow breath. "Same place. Same feeling. Like I'm watching something I'm not supposed to see."
"You can tell, it's okay promise i wont tell anyone" she add with a gentle smile.
I set the burger down, grease staining the wrapper. "It's…strange," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "There's this huge stone hall like a cathedral, but ruined. Cracked pillars, roots crawling through the walls. And a statue of a woman, a goddess maybe, staring down at me. Everything's dark except for a doorway pouring in light."
Hana leaned forward, elbows on the table.
"And someone's walking across the floor," I went on. "I can hear their boots, metal on marble. They're dragging a sword. I can't see their face, just the blade scraping, echoing. They kneel in front of the statue, put the sword down, and…it's covered in blood. Then the statue starts crying. Red tears. Like it's alive but not. And the figure, he kept saying sorry. And you know, he wasn't alone. There was something in the dark with him"
A shiver ran through me just saying it out loud. "That's when I always wake up. Heart pounding like I just ran a mile."
Hana's expression softened. "That's…yeah, that's creepy."
"It's not just creepy," I said quietly. "It feels real. Like I'm supposed to understand it, but I don't. And it keeps coming back. Every night. Same sounds. Same…weight. I can still hear the sword dragging when I close my eyes."
I tried to laugh it off, but it came out thin. "Anyway, probably just stress. Brain's way of being a jerk."
Hana smiled at me. "You know, it's probably just a dream. Nothing more. Don't let it eat at you too much. Cheer up, or Mr. T will start nagging at you again."
I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "Yeah, he'd probably make it the first thing in the morning."
She laughed too, the sound light and easy. Then she leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "Mark told me he's thinking of resigning. Going to do his own thing…travel the world, see new places."
I smiled, but it was tinged with something else. Sad, a little wistful. "That's…nice. Good for him."
Hana noticed it and nudged me lightly. "Maybe you should do something too. Even a little. Go out, explore. You don't have to wait for the world to come to you."
I chuckled softly. "I would…maybe visit the outskirts, see some of the countryside." My smile faltered for a fraction. "But my schedule's too tight, and…" I trailed off, letting the thought hang.
Hana tilted her head, curious.
"And…?"
I shook my head, forcing a grin. "Nothing. Just…cost, I guess. Not really in the cards for me right now."
She patted my shoulder. "Well, maybe one day. Don't let life just pass by, Lucien."
I nodded, staring down at my burger, imagining wide open spaces I'd probably never see. I walked Hana to her building, the cool night air brushing against my face.
"Thanks for walking with me," I said as we reached the entrance.
She gave me a small smile. "Just…don't dwell on it too much, okay? You'll be fine."
"Thanks," I said. "I'll keep that in mind."
She waved and went inside, leaving me alone on the quiet street.
I didn't feel like heading straight home yet. Not ready to face my empty apartment. Instead, I wandered toward the park a few blocks away. The air smelled faintly of damp grass, and the city lights reflected off puddles from an earlier rain. I found an empty bench under a flickering streetlamp and sank onto it.
I pulled out my phone and opened the webnovel I'd left halfway through last night: Return of the Exile.
It was the perfect escape far from cramped apartments, endless paperwork, and monotonous days. A hero, banished for fighting a demon god, cast into another world, clawing his way back for revenge on those who betrayed him.
I smiled faintly, the tension in my shoulders easing a little. Here, at least for a while, I could pretend I wasn't Lucien Marr, the guy trapped in the same twenty-minute walk to work every morning. I could be someone else entirely, someone who mattered in a story bigger than my own.
I flipped through the pages, following the hero and his companions as they struck the final blow against the dragon that had terrorized the kingdom. Flames still curled in the corners of the ruined village, villagers cautiously emerging from hiding, eyes wide with disbelief and gratitude. The hero's sword gleamed in the dying light, streaked with ash and blood, and his companions loyal and battered stood around him, bruised but unbroken.
Now, the story moved on. The dragon defeated, a new horizon stretched before them: uncharted lands, mysterious forests, treacherous mountains, and rumors of dark creatures lurking in forgotten ruins. Every chapter promised fresh dangers, new alliances, and the chance to see worlds beyond what the pages could contain.
I could almost hear the clash of steel, the rustle of leaves in foreign forests, and the distant roar of beasts waiting to be challenged. For a while, I was no longer sitting on a cold park bench I was there with them, following every step, every heartbeat of the adventure, far away from my quiet, predictable life. challenges to face.
Time slipped by without me noticing. The streetlamps flickered, and I finally glanced at my phone's clock. Late. Too late to linger any longer.
I tucked the phone away and started walking back toward my apartment, the night quiet except for my own footsteps. As I passed a small electronics store, a screen in the window caught my eye. A travel vlog, the same one I'd seen earlier the guy laughing, climbing mountains, wandering forests, diving into rivers, seeing things I could only dream of.
A pang settled in my chest. My own life felt smaller all of a sudden. Ordinary. Confined. Safe, maybe but dull.
I sighed and kept walking, my hands stuffed in my pockets, telling myself I'd just get home and sleep.
I didn't even bother freshening up. My bag hit the floor with a thud, and I collapsed onto the bed, still fully clothed. The exhaustion weighed heavy, dragging me straight under the covers.
My mind wouldn't shut off, though. Thoughts of the day spun in my head work, the mistakes, Hana, the quiet walk, the novel, the vlog. And then my life itself: the endless repetition, the same streets, the same office, the same dinners alone.
Another day waiting to happen, just like the one before. I groaned, staring at the ceiling. Would anything ever change? Could anything?
I picked up my phone, seeking some small comfort. A picture I'd saved earlier glowed back at me: mountains rising sharply against a pastel sky, rivers cutting through valleys, trees that seemed impossibly green. Places I'd never been but longed for, a part of me buried under bills and deadlines and the monotony of life.
I set my phone aside and lay back, letting the exhaustion drag me down. My eyes traced the ceiling, but sleep wouldn't come right away.
The silence of the apartment felt too heavy, too empty. My chest tightened with the thought of another day just like today same streets, same office, same routine.
I tried to push the thoughts away, but flashes of the citadel crept in and i tried to shake it off.
Minutes passed. I shifted under the covers, staring at the faint light of the city outside my window. The more I tried to calm myself, the more the images pressed against the edges of my mind.
I tried to push the thoughts away, but flashes of the citadel crept in: the cold marble floor, the distant echoes of boots, the feeling of being watched. My stomach twisted, and my hands itched to do something, anything, to shake it off.
Minutes passed. I shifted under the covers, staring at the faint light of the city outside my window. The more I tried to calm myself, the more the images pressed against the edges of my mind.
Finally, exhaustion won over. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I slipped into darkness.
And then it came.
The ruined citadel, the echoing hall, the statue staring down, crying blood. The figure dragging the sword across the marble floor.
And, as if the darkness itself spoke through that figure, the words echoed in my mind, clear and terrifying:
"All hail… the hero."
My heart thundered. I jerked awake, gasping for air, hands clutching the sheets.
I woke to light spilling through the blinds, the kind that makes everything in the room look sharper than it should. My alarm had already gone off hours ago, or maybe I'd slept through it—I couldn't tell.The day had already begun without me.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up, chest tight from sleep and the memory of the nightmare still clinging.
I shook my head. "Just a dream," I muttered to myself, though the words sounded hollow.
My room felt smaller in the morning light, the neatness of my desk and bed contrasting sharply with the heavy, echoing dark of the dream. Even here, even in my ordinary life, I couldn't shake it.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and planted my feet on the floor, staring down at my shoes. Would anything ever change?
And yet… I got up. Because that's what I always did.
Another day of the same streets, the same office, the same tasks awaited me.
Work was a blur. Emails pinged constantly, reports demanded attention, and files piled up across my desk like tiny towers threatening to collapse. I typed and sorted and double-checked, my hands moving automatically while my mind felt foggy, weighed down by exhaustion.
Hana wasn't there she had taken the day off, and the office felt emptier, quieter, as if even the air noticed her absence.
By mid-afternoon, the farewell gathering for Mark began. Everyone crowded around, exchanging hugs, laughter, and half-hearted jokes.
Mark was tired, yes, but there was something alive in his eyes that none of us had quite retained. He caught my gaze and leaned closer, his voice low.
"Lucien," he said, "you should try to live a little. Don't get stuck in this…cycle we're all trapped in."
I nodded, smiling weakly. "Yeah…thanks, Mark."
The day continued to drag on, each minute heavier than the last. I finished up what remained of my work, my hands sore from typing and sorting, my head buzzing. Finally, I packed my things and stepped out, the evening already dark around me. The streets were quiet, the city humming faintly beneath the glow of streetlights.
And then I saw her Hana, leaning against the railing, hoodie pulled up, hands tucked into her pockets, a small smile on her face.
"Hana…what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.
She shrugged lightly. "I wasn't feeling well this morning, had some things to do. But I couldn't stay still. I figured you'd be late, so I came here to catch you. Thought we could go grab something to eat again."
I managed a tired smile. "You really didn't have to, you know. But…thanks."
She grinned, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know. But I wanted to. Come on, let's go before you pass out from all that work."
We started walking together, the city quiet around us. My thoughts wandered briefly to the monotony of my day the missed lunches, the endless typing, the reports piling up, the way the office had felt emptier without her but Hana's presence made it a little lighter.
We walked side by side, night air cool against my skin. I told her about the day how quiet the office felt without her, how I buried myself in work while everyone clapped Mark on the back and wished him luck.
"It felt kind of empty," I admitted.
Hana gave a soft laugh. "Don't worry. I'll drown with you tomorrow," she said, bumping her shoulder into mine. I smiled, and for a moment the evening felt almost normal.
The streets, though, were quieter than usual. Fewer headlights swept past. The shops we passed had their lights off early. I figured it was just late, but the silence settled heavier with each block.
Hana's voice broke it. "Lucien… can I ask you something?""Yeah, of course," I said, eyes still wandering across the dim sidewalks.
She hesitated, steps slowing a little. "It's… maybe it's nothing. I can tell you another time."
"You can ask me anything," I said, half distracted. "I won't mind."
We kept walking. Streetlamps flickered overhead, their pale glow stretching our shadows long across the pavement. I realized I hadn't seen another pedestrian in minutes. The hum of traffic was gone, replaced by the faint buzz of the lamps.
Hana drew a breath, her voice soft. "The thing is… I was wondering if-.."
Something in me tightened. "Hana," I said quietly.
She looked up, startled. "Look around," I told her.
Her gaze swept the street, and I saw the realization bloom on her face. Empty sidewalks. No passing cars. No distant chatter or echo of footsteps. Only the cold halo of the streetlights and the two of us, standing still in a silence that felt wrong.
The farther we walked, the quieter the city became.
At first it was just a lull less traffic, fewer people out late. But block after block, the silence deepened until it felt like we were the last two people alive. No cars. No voices. Not even the buzz of a streetlamp.
I slowed without meaning to, a knot forming in my stomach. The air smelled damp, like rain that never came. My footsteps echoed too loudly on the pavement.
Hana noticed. "Why's it so empty tonight?" she asked, her voice soft, uncertain.
I glanced around: rows of dark windows, shops shuttered tight, a paper cup rolling across the street with a faint scrape. Nothing moved.
"I… don't know," I said.
We kept walking, but the silence pressed closer. Each footstep sounded sharper, like the city itself was listening.
Hana tugged at my sleeve. "Lucien… something's wrong." Her hand lingered there, small and tense.
I wanted to tell her it was fine, that maybe we'd just stayed out too late. But my own breath felt heavy, the air thick enough to chew.
Then she froze. "Do you… hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That… chime. A bell." Her whisper was barely a breath.
I opened my mouth to reassure her then I heard it too.
A faint metallic ring, distant but clear, like someone striking an old church bell far away. One slow note, then another. The sound seeped into the air, low and cold, until I felt it in my chest.
We stopped. The streetlamps above us buzzed and flickered, throwing long, crooked shadows that seemed to stretch and sway.
The bell kept tolling, each strike a little louder. And beneath it, something else: a murmur. Many voices, low and layered, carrying on the night air like a tide coming in.
I turned in a slow circle. The sidewalks were empty, every window dark. But the whispering grew soft words I almost recognized but couldn't place.
Hana's grip on my sleeve tightened until it hurt. "Lucien… what is that?"
My heart pounded so hard it drowned out my reply. The voices swelled, clearer, rising and falling in a rhythm like chanting.
The nightmare flickered in my mind cold marble floors, a statue bleeding tears, a figure dragging a sword. Each memory landed with the bell's toll, heavy and inevitable.
The streetlamps blinked out one by one with small, snapping pops. Darkness rushed in, leaving only the silver light of a thin moon overhead.
The chant sharpened until I could hear the words "Hana—" I turned towards her.
She was staring straight at me, eyes wide and unnaturally pale, her face ghosted in moonlight. Her lips parted, trembling. It took me aback and surprised me.
"Lucien," she said, but the voice was hollow, layered, not hers.
"All hail… the hero."
A sudden brilliance flared beneath our feet four interlocking circles of blinding white, burning through the asphalt. The roar of voices crashed over us, the bell's toll echoing inside my skull.
I threw an arm up to cover my eyes against the light as it swallowed everything.
Then.....when I opened my eyes, the world had changed.
The bell tolled once more, deep and final. Before me stretched a sea of people, endless and bright, their chant rising in perfect unison:
"All hail… the hero."