After going back to his room, Osca still felt that something was not right.
The quiet of the room felt heavier than before, pressing against his chest as he sat on the edge of his bed. His eyes drifted around the familiar walls, yet nothing brought him comfort.
"How would this demon let me go back to my world so easily?" he muttered. "There must be something I don't know."
He rubbed his face and let out a long breath.
"Still… right now, I need to move on with my life."
Osca picked up his phone and began searching online, his fingers moving quickly across the screen. Page after page loaded forums, articles, random discussions, but none of them mentioned abilities like his, nor dream worlds, nor demons with blue horns.
Minutes passed. Then more.
His grip on the phone tightened.
"Ah, I couldn't find anything!" he said, frustration leaking into his voice. "What am I going to do right now?"
The screen dimmed as his hands dropped to his sides. A heavy feeling filled his chest, spreading until his thoughts felt crowded and restless.
Then
A sound echoed.
"Hi, Osca. We're meeting again."
The voice spread through the entire room, slipping into every corner.
Osca's head snapped up.
"Huh? Who is it?" he asked, his heart suddenly racing.
A few seconds later, the familiar door appeared out of thin air. It slowly opened, and a man with blue horns stepped out.
"Oh no… It's him again!"
Cold sweat formed on Osca's forehead, sliding down his temple as his body began to shiver.
"Little boy, don't be afraid," Osac said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I don't trust you," Osca replied, backing away. "Leave me alone now."
A faint, evil smile tugged at Osac's lips.
Osca turned and ran out of the room, but the moment he crossed the doorway, he froze.
Outside was another room.
Exactly the same as his own.
His breath caught.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Am I still in the dream world?"
"This is the human world," Osac's voice answered. "But you gave me your name."
Osca's eyes widened.
"I can control the space you're in right now."
Shock washed over him.
In the next instant, Osac vanished.
A chill crept up Osca's spine.
Then a voice whispered behind him.
"I'm behind you, little boy."
Osca spun around.
Osac was standing inches away.
Before he could react, Osac raised one finger and pointed it at Osca's chest.
"This is my final destination."
Dark energy surged as Osac summoned a spirit form of himself. The spirit shot forward, rushing straight toward Osca.
Osca tried to run
But his body wouldn't move.
Fog wrapped around him again, locking him in place.
"Someone help me!!!" Osca screamed, his body shaking violently.
The room remained silent.
Only him.
And the demon.
The spirit plunged into his body.
"Argh!!!"
Pain exploded through him as he screamed, his mind desperately resisting. He fought back again and again, but the spirit's power crushed his will.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably. Sweat poured from his forehead as the pain felt endless, like his body was being torn apart.
"Just give up already," Osac said softly. "I will treat you well."
"No!!!" Osca shouted with the last of his strength.
Time lost meaning.
After what felt like ages, his resistance faded, and darkness swallowed his consciousness.
The last thing he heard was Osac's satisfied voice.
"Finally… I finally obtained this boy's fresh body."
When Osca woke up again, he saw his body lying on the ground.
Then it stood up.
Those eyes opened.
His heart sank.
"Heh… my body doesn't belong to me anymore?"
He reached out instinctively, but his hand passed straight through.
Osca stared down at himself.
Transparent.
Realization struck like lightning.
His soul had been forced out.
"You fucking demon! Give me back my body!" he yelled.
Osac laughed using Osca's body.
"No. I have wanted your body for so long."
"Why?" Osca demanded. "Why my body?"
"Your body is young," Osac replied. "And I want to experience what it's like to be human."
"I've controlled the dark part of the dream world for too long. I'm bored with that life."
"So there's a light part of the dream world?" Osca asked. "A god who controls it?"
"Yes," Osac said approvingly. "What a smart brain you have."
Hope flickered in Osca's chest.
"If I can go there, I can seek help from the god"
"Not anymore," Osac interrupted. "My dark soul is in your body. They won't trust someone corrupted by darkness."
"My heart isn't corrupted!!!" Osca shouted.
"That doesn't matter," Osac replied coldly. "You're mine now."
"What about the past ones who died in your world?" Osca asked quietly. "Did you say the same things to them?"
Osac's smile widened.
"They're different. You're the only one I want."
"Then why did they die?"
"They refused me," Osac said calmly. "So I killed them and trapped their souls."
"No wonder…" Osca whispered. "I heard screams when I first arrived."
"What will you do with my body?" he asked. "Other than living a human life?"
Osac chuckled.
"I'm not telling you yet."
"That's not fair," Osca said angrily. "You took my body without telling me why."
"Don't make me commit suicide."
"Oh, sweet boy," Osac said gently. "Don't do that. We'll live a good life together."
"I don't even know you!" Osca yelled. "You bastard!"
"I'm not as evil as you think."
Osac suddenly summoned a candy into his hand, turned into spirit form, and tossed it toward Osca.
The candy floated in midair.
Osca grabbed it and bit down.
"Wow… so sweet," he said instinctively. "I love this flavor."
Then his expression darkened.
"But that's not what I wanted right now."
The sweetness lingered on Osca's tongue, melting slowly, mockingly warm compared to the cold spreading through his chest. He swallowed, yet the taste refused to disappear, clinging to him like a cruel reminder that his body was no longer his.
Osac, wearing Osca's face, watched him with clear amusement.
"That reaction," Osac said lightly, tilting his head, "is exactly why I wanted a human body. Taste, warmth, fear… emotions are much clearer when you have flesh."
Osca clenched his transparent hands. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel them. There was no weight, no resistance, just empty air.
"You stole everything from me," Osca said, his voice shaking. "My life, my future… even my body."
Osac stretched Osca's arms, flexing his fingers slowly as if testing new limbs.
"Stole?" he repeated. "No. I claimed it. You should feel honored."
Osca felt something twist painfully inside his chest, not physical pain, but something deeper, heavier.
"You said you'd help people like me," Osca said. "You lied."
Osac paused.
For just a moment, the smile faded.
"I never said I was kind," he replied calmly. "Only that I was interested."
The room seemed to darken, the corners blurring slightly as if reality itself was bending to Osac's presence. The air felt thicker, harder to breathe.
Osca took a step back, though he wasn't sure if his feet were even touching the ground anymore.
"What happens to me now?" he asked quietly.
Osac turned his back and walked toward the bed, sitting down casually, as if this were still Osca's ordinary room.
"You'll stay," Osac said. "As a soul."
Osca's heart dropped.
"You'll watch," Osac continued. "You'll think. You'll regret. And sometimes, if I'm in a good mood, I might even talk to you."
"That's hell," Osca whispered.
Osac laughed softly.
"Yes," he agreed. "It is."
Silence filled the room.
Outside the window, the rain began again, tapping lightly against the glass. The sound felt distant, like something from another life.
Osca stared at his own body at Osac wearing it, and felt an unbearable sense of loss wash over him.
"I won't give up," Osca said suddenly, lifting his head. "Even if I'm just a soul… I'll find a way."
Osac glanced over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly.
"Good," he said. "Struggle. That will make things much more interesting."
The room flickered.
The light dimmed.
And as Osca stood there, trapped between existence and nothingness, one thought echoed clearly in his mind:
This isn't the end.
This is only the beginning.