Before Sen could finish deciding whether he wanted chicken or fish for lunch, something unexpected happened.
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But before that, perhaps it would be better to explain who Sen really was.
His full name was Senkara Halder.
To strangers, he looked like a tired middle-aged man who had already given up on life.
He had a round belly, thick arms, and a slightly hunched posture from years of sitting in front of computers. His face was almost completely covered by an uneven beard and moustache that he rarely bothered to trim. Dark hair grew on his arms and chest like wild grass.
If someone guessed his age, they would probably say thirty-five.
Maybe forty.
But in reality, Sen was only twenty-four years old.
Life had simply been… unkind.
His body wasn't very healthy either.
Thanks to unlucky genetics, he had inherited diabetes and asthma from his parents. Running for more than a minute could leave him wheezing like an old machine.
His parents had died in a car accident a year ago.
Since then, Sen had been living alone in a small apartment in the city.
Well… almost alone.
He did have a younger brother.
But Sen had sent him abroad for his studies. The boy was smart, far smarter than Sen ever was. Sen didn't want his little brother to be trapped in the same miserable life.
So he worked like a slave in that company to support him.
Or at least…
He used to.
Now that he had quit his job, Sen had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do next.
But strangely, that uncertainty didn't scare him.
It felt refreshing.
Like standing on the edge of a cliff and realizing there was nothing left tying you down.
The morning sunlight stretched across the quiet street as Sen walked toward his apartment.
The neighborhood was old but peaceful.
Small shops.
Narrow streets.
And the familiar alleyway that led directly to his building.
Sen stuffed his hands into his pockets and yawned.
"I should really sleep," he muttered to himself.
His brain still felt foggy from earlier.
That strange dream.
The mysterious voice.
And the weird feeling that he had somehow lived through the office scene before.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking," Sen sighed.
Just as he stepped into the alleyway—
A loud bark exploded from the shadows.
"Wha—?"
Before Sen could react, something lunged at him.
A dark blur shot forward with terrifying speed.
Sen barely raised his arms in time.
THUD!
The impact slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs.
He stumbled backward and crashed against the wall.
"Gah!"
A large dog. A bit smaller than a tiger.
Its jaws snapped wildly in front of his face.
"Hey! Hey! What the hell?!" Sen shouted, pushing against it.
The dog was heavier than it looked.
And far stronger.
It growled like a wild beast, its claws scraping against Sen's shirt as it tried to bite his neck.
"Why is this thing attacking me?!" Sen thought in panic.
He grabbed the dog's neck with both hands, trying to push it away.
The animal's body felt strangely stiff.
Cold.
A horrible smell suddenly filled his nose.
"Ugh!"
Sen gagged.
"What is this smell?!"
It was disgusting.
Like rotten meat that had been left in the sun for days.
"Ishh! What the hell is wrong with this dog?!"
The animal's breath was even worse.
A sickening stench poured from its mouth as it snarled.
Sen finally managed to push it slightly away.
And that was when he saw its eyes.
They were cloudy.
Pale.
Almost… dead.
A chill ran down his spine.
"This dog…"
Something was wrong. The creature lunged again, jaws wide open. Its teeth came dangerously close to his face.
"Shit!"
Sen raised his arm to block—
~BANG!~
The gunshot echoed through the alley. A sharp ringing filled Sen's ears. The dog's body suddenly went limp.
For a moment, Sen didn't understand what had happened. Then warm liquid splashed onto his arm.
Blood.
A hole had appeared in the dog's skull. Its body collapsed against him like a broken puppet.
Sen quickly pushed it away. The corpse hit the ground with a heavy thud. He stared at it, breathing heavily.
"W-What…?"
A calm voice spoke from behind him.
"Why is a normal citizen like you fighting a corpse dog?"
Sen froze. Slowly, he turned around. Standing at the entrance of the alley was a man. He looked to be in his forties.
Tall.Broad shoulders. Strong build. His hair was short and slightly graying, and his face was rough like someone who had seen too many battles.
In his hand was a pistol. Thin smoke drifted from the barrel. The man looked at Sen with mild annoyance.
Sen blinked. "Corpse… what?"
The man sighed."Corpse dog."
He stepped forward and nudged the dead animal with his boot. The body didn't move. Its limbs remained stiff.
"Low-level undead mutation," the man muttered.
Then he crouched down and grabbed the dog's leg like it was nothing more than garbage.
Sen stared at him.
"Wait—"
His brain finally started working again.
"Corpse dog? What does that mean?"
The man glanced at him.
"You seriously don't know?"
"No!"
Sen threw his hands up in frustration.
"What the hell is a corpse dog?!"
The man studied him for a moment.
Then he rolled his eyes.
"Unbelievable."
Without explaining anything, he lifted the dog's body over his shoulder.
"Hey! Wait!" Sen shouted.
But the man had already started walking away.
"Is it really that hard to answer a question?" Sen complained.
The man paused for a second. Then he spoke without turning around.
"Next time you see one, run. If you don't have a gun." After saying that, he disappeared down the street.
Sen stood alone in the alley. The silence returned. The rotten smell still lingered in the air. He looked down at the small pool of blood on the ground.
"Corpse dog…"
The words felt strange. Unreal.
Undead mutation? Gunshots in broad daylight?
And that man… he acted like this was completely normal.
Sen scratched his beard. "What kind of nonsense was that?" He stepped out of the alley and looked around. The street seemed normal. Cars passed by. People walked to work. No one seemed concerned about the gunshot.
No one seemed worried about undead animals. It was like nothing had happened. A strange uneasiness crept into Sen's chest.
"This world…" He frowned. "Is something wrong with this world?"
Or maybe… Something was wrong with him.
The strange dream. The repeating office scene. The corpse dog. None of it made sense.
Sen rubbed his temples. "Am I losing my mind?"
Just as he was about to leave—A cold whisper echoed inside his head.
Inside his mind.
] What did you gain? [
Sen froze.
His eyes widened.
] What did you achieve? [
His heart began beating faster.
He looked around the empty street.
] A second chance? [
The voice laughed softly.
] In your dreams. [
The whisper faded.
The world is normal.
But Sen stood there, completely motionless. Cold sweat slid down his back. His hands trembled slightly.
"That voice…"
He had heard it before.
In that darkness. When he thought he had died.
Slowly, Sen looked up at the sky. The bright morning sun shone down on the city.
Everything looked peaceful. Normal.
But deep inside—Sen suddenly had a terrible feeling.