Drink... Drink...
Rivan jolted awake, gasping for air.
Instinctively, his hand flew to his stomach—he could still feel the sting of Echo's claws tearing through his flesh.
He scanned the room, sunlight spilling through the gaps between the curtains.
Pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose, he muttered softly, "What a nightmare."
He grabbed his phone and silenced the alarm. His breath caught when he saw the message notification from Lunara.
[Lunara]: I remember.
[Lunara]: Sorry, I was busy last night and couldn't check my phone.
Why... were Lunara's messages exactly the same as in his dream? An uneasy sense of déjà vu crawled under his skin.
He tried to shake it off and got out of bed. After showering and changing, Rivan headed downstairs for breakfast.
He stared at the message for a long time, unsure how to reply. The phone screen dimmed and went black in his hand.
Then came his mother's voice.
"Put your phone away. Don't play with it while eating," she chided.
Rivan froze. The uneasiness inside him surged again. From upstairs, he could hear footsteps and his sister's voice asking for more eggs.
The scolding, the fried rice, and Elena's request—everything was exactly the same as in his dream.
What's going on?
His hand tightened around the spoon.
"Dad's not coming down, Mom?" asked Elena as she sat beside him.
Rivan unconsciously held his breath, waiting for his mother's answer.
But unlike in the dream, this time it was Elena who asked the question.
A flicker of hope lit up in Rivan's heart—maybe this time would be different.
But his mother's reply was like cold water, snuffing out that tiny flame.
"Hmm, in that case, Mo—wait, are you okay? You look really pale," Elena said, her voice laced with worry.
"I'm just a bit tired," Rivan replied quietly. "I'll be going now."
His mother frowned. "At least finish your breakfast."
Grabbing his bag and phone, Rivan headed for the door. "I'm full."
"Don't forget to come home early today!" his mother called out.
His body stiffened for a moment before he answered softly, "I know."
Rivan pedaled his bike, the wind playing with his black hair. The sun shone gently, its light slipping through the leaves, painting the road in golden hues.
After parking his bike, Rivan paused, staring at the school building. That same suffocating déjà vu had been haunting him since morning.
"Yo, bro."
Rivan turned toward the voice.
Rafa was walking up with a grin. "Wow, look who's early for once."
Rivan rolled his eyes. "I'm always early, okay?"
"Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night," Rafa teased, chuckling.
They walked together toward the classroom.
The class was already a lively mess—laughter, gossip, desks scraping the floor, all blending into one chaotic morning.
Some students ran around playfully while others were glued to their phones.
In the back right corner, Rivan sat lazily, stacking books into a makeshift pillow before closing his eyes, pretending to nap.
"Hey, don't sleep yet! The teacher might show up any second—and first period's math!" Rafa flicked a pencil at him.
"Let me be. I've been up since five," Rivan murmured.
"And that's your excuse for sleeping in class?"
"Yup," Rivan muttered and covered his face with a book.
"Rafa! Borrow your eraser!" someone shouted.
"Get it yourself! I'm busy waking the Sleeping Prince here!" Rafa replied without looking away.
"Sleeping Prince? More like the Prince of Laziness!" someone joked, and the class burst into laughter.
Rivan groaned, covering his ears in irritation.
"Can you all not? I'm trying to copy my homework here!" another student complained.
"Relax, Dir. Your handwriting won't vanish because of a little noise," a boy replied.
"A little? This sounds like a dang concert!"
Laughter filled the room again.
Amid the chaos, Rivan stared out the window, his mind drifting far away.
For a moment, the noise faded into nothing—only the sound of wind whispering through the curtains remained.
---
"Mom, where are we going?" Rivan asked nervously.
After school, just like he promised, he'd come home early. Now, sitting in the back seat beside his sister, that same gnawing unease had returned. The déjà vu wouldn't stop haunting him.
"To Vellan Restaurant. Our usual spot," his mother answered from the front seat.
His lips tightened. His gaze trembled. "Let's go somewhere else, Mom."
She turned, puzzled. "Are you sure? That's your favorite mushroom place."
"Yeah, I just... got tired of it. Let's go somewhere else," he insisted.
"Tired?!" Elena gasped. "You? The guy who could live off mushrooms for a month?"
Rivan rolled his eyes. "Can't I eat something other than mushrooms for once?"
Elena's jaw dropped. "Mom, I think he's possessed!"
His parents exchanged worried glances.
"You sure you're okay, Riv?" his mother asked softly. "You're not feeling sick?"
Rivan lowered his head. He knew how strange he must seem right now.
But that dream—it had felt too real. Almost as if it really happened.
"Today's... my birthday, isn't it?" he whispered.
Elena turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Finally, you remember!"
Rivan sat rigid, his fists trembling on his lap. "I want to go somewhere else."
His parents looked at each other again, confused but unwilling to argue.
His father turned the car around, away from Vellan Restaurant. "Alright, where do you want to eat?"
Rivan's eyes lit up. "I want mushrooms! But somewhere else!"
"My brother, the mushroom maniac, is back," Elena sighed in relief.
After ten minutes of driving, they stopped at a different restaurant. They ordered food and gathered around the table.
"Happy birthday!" they said in unison.
Rivan smiled, closing his eyes as he made a wish. Staring at the cake, all his anxiety melted away. Finally, he could breathe again.
Thank God. It was just a dream.
With that thought, Rivan blew out the candle. And then— A piercing scream shattered the air.
"Echo!"
Rivan froze. He didn't move even as chaos erupted—people screaming, chairs crashing, cries for help filling the air.
Even when his father grabbed his arm to pull him away, Rivan's mind refused to process what he was seeing.
A thunderous crash filled the restaurant.
Through the dust and debris, dark shapes emerged—eyes glowing crimson, their guttural growls scraping like metal against stone.
The black-scaled monsters swung their claws, smashing through brick and flesh alike.
Rivan trembled violently, Echo's roar making his ears ring. The dream's horrific scenes overlapped with reality before his eyes.
"Rivan!" His father's shout snapped him back.
He jumped aside just as Echo's claws struck the wall behind him. Those glowing red eyes fixed on him.
Cold dread crept down his spine.
Heart racing, Rivan ran. Echo's raspy growls followed close behind.
"Riv, this way!" his father called.
Without thinking, Rivan rushed toward him—then froze.
Echo stood right behind his father.
"Dad!"
"Don't worry, I'm right—"
His father's words were cut short as Echo's claws tore through him.
"Dad!" Rivan screamed, collapsing beside him. "Dad!"
"Brother! Don't go!" Elena's voice broke as she pulled him back, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She dragged Rivan toward their mother.
"Mom!" Elena cried out.
Rivan turned—and his world stopped.
His mother stood frozen, Echo's claw piercing clean through her stomach.
Her eyes glistened with tears as the light within them began to fade.
"Elen... Riv... Run..."
Her voice broke and vanished into the air.
A growl rumbled behind them.
Rivan grabbed Elena's hand. "Run! Elena, run!"
He shook her frantically, but her pale, lifeless stare made his heart crack.
There was no time left. He lifted her into his arms and ran, stumbling, gasping for breath.
"Elena, wake up! Please! We have to live!"
His vision blurred. Tears streamed down his face as he carried her limp body.
He ducked into a side room, leaning her against the wall. Her shallow breaths mixed with faint coughs.
Rivan peeked through the crack in the door—screams, chaos, blood. Then, a woman was split in half before being devoured by Echo.
He shut his eyes, trembling, before turning back to his sister. He grasped her hand tightly as she whispered faintly, "Mom... Dad..."
"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you," he said, gently brushing her hair aside. He pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath.
A guttural growl scraped the air right outside. Rivan's grip tightened around a knife lying nearby.
Through the gap in the door, he saw two Echos prowling outside. But what he didn't notice was the faint red glow behind him.
Soft, heavy footsteps approached. Hot, ragged breath touched his neck.
Rivan froze and turned slowly.
Echo's crimson eyes met his.
The creature roared, its claws slashing through the wall. Two more pairs of glowing eyes turned toward them.
Rivan grabbed Elena's hand and ran, but barely made a few steps before pain exploded in his chest.
Echo's claw had pierced straight through him.
"Brother!" Elena screamed.
"R-run... Elen... RUN!" Rivan's body collapsed to the floor, eyes wide with panic.
Each breath came shorter. The burning pain turned to a chilling numbness.
He tried to shout again— "Run!"
His gaze locked onto Elena—just as her head rolled to the ground, eyes frozen in terror. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Echo's claws tore through him once more, splitting his body in half.
Rivan dragged his broken upper body toward his sister. Every inch left a trail of blood behind him. He reached out, his trembling fingers brushing her cheek one last time. The world spun. His breath faltered. The light in his eyes faded away.
"Why...?" he whispered weakly—caught between disbelief and despair.