"Creak"
"Creak"
The sound of a door opening.
Lin entered his apartment, leaving the door ajar. He walked with slow steps toward an old shelf that held a collection of his favorite books.
After a while of gazing at them, he picked one out and threw himself onto an old wooden chair placed next to the window. He began flipping through the book from the back, glancing around the room that occupied half the space of his apartment.
Lin looked at the book again. Despite his strong desire to open it, he hesitated every time—not because he wanted to preserve it as a gift or as a memory from someone. Lin didn't care about such things; he only cared about himself. Nothing else mattered to him. He had left his family and come to live in this birdcage alone. He had no friends to talk to or exchange gifts with.
After staring at the book for a long time, Lin finally decided to look at the other side of it. It appeared damaged and full of holes—so many that not a single word of the text could be read.
Lin opened the book and kept flipping through the pages one after the other without looking at any of them for more than a second—until he stopped at one page and quietly began reading it aloud:
"The Truth of Reality"
"To my future self"
"Since I was young, I was naturally gifted. I could learn the hardest things in record time. No one could keep up with me—whether in school, sports, or even games—until, over time, I began to realize important things I had never known before. I started to see the news channels on TV talk constantly about wars, poverty, broken systems, and the rise of crime. It made me want, deeply, to change this reality."
Lin paused for a moment, trying to process what he had just read. He hadn't yet realized that the person who wrote these words was the same miserable soul now sitting alone here. Yet he kept reading...
"But honestly, I don't know what that child was thinking back then. My dreams were nothing more than illusions—things that couldn't be achieved in this world through traditional means. The wealthy monopolized the positions of power, placing fake exams whose results they controlled just to ensure their continued dominance."
"Despite knowing this, I kept trying—hoping luck would favor me or that I'd experience some miracle like in those hero movies."
"...Yet more obstacles appeared in my path. Even my family began to neglect me in every way. No matter what I achieved, there was no reaction—just constant demands for more. Even my friends became mere distractions to me, unworthy of my attention. Everything I did seemed pointless. Life remained the same, with unbearable pressure and growing loneliness. I started stepping back... one step... two... three..."
Lin threw the book violently at the wall, as if he had just remembered things he never wanted to recall.
Strangely, Lin's expression remained cold and blank despite everything he had read—despite the pain of past memories.
He slowly rose from the wooden chair and walked toward a round mirror placed near the kitchen. He stood in front of it for a moment and noticed the mark of a scar on his left cheek.
Lin was handsome—with short black hair and brown eyes. Nothing about him stood out, except that scar, which he saw as a flaw. Suddenly, Lin began to feel an intense headache—like someone had struck him with an iron rod. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain like a worm.
He tried crawling with all his strength to reach his phone and call for help... until the pain disappeared.
No—not just the pain. Everything disappeared.
"Wait... what's going on? What the hell is happening? I can't see... can't hear... I can't even feel the ground I was lying on..."
When Lin's vision returned, the first thing his eyes landed on was a stone path. Grass covered parts of it, and tall stone pillars lined both sides as far as the eye could see.
"Seriously...? You think I need a journey through the African savannah right now, world?!"
Lin had no choice but to move forward. As he did, he began to hear voices—words he couldn't understand. He couldn't hide his growing anxiety, especially since he had no idea where this path led...
Until he reached its end: the entrance of a pyramid—resembling those of ancient Egypt, but far larger.
"Alright... looks like I have no choice but to go inside. Everything around the pyramid is forest—and it would be foolish to try and play the hero by going through that. If I'm going to die, I'd rather go out in style."
Just seconds before Lin entered, the headache returned—but this time it was far worse.
Lin felt like death was standing right before him. Blood began pouring from his mouth, nose, and ears. In that unbearable agony, he heard a faint, terrifying voice calling out to him...
"You can't escape me."
With a tone of contempt.
"I am death incarnate... Lin."
Lin couldn't comprehend what was happening—but he kept trying to stay conscious.
...
...
...
Lin opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was dirt.
"Hello... I'm still alive."