Adrian was running.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead of him, dim and flickering, the walls peeling as if they had been left to rot for decades. His footsteps echoed unnaturally loud, yet at the same time, there was a suffocating silence.
His breath came in sharp gasps, his heart hammering inside his chest. He wasn't sure who he was running from-only that something was wrong.
Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
A figure stood at the far end of the hallway, bathed in shadows.Adrian slowed, panting, his pulse throbbing in his ears. He could see the outline of a man.
Daniel?
The figure raised its hand.
Adrian blinked-his own hand lifted at the same time.His stomach clenched.
No. Not Daniel.
His eyes dropped to his own palm, to the fingers he hadn't realized were curled into a trembling fist.
The hand was coated in thick, wet blood.
His breath hitched. His other hand-also covered.Crimson streaks ran between his fingers, dripping onto the floor.
His clothes-soaked.
The air suddenly smelled of iron, thick and suffocating.The walls around him dripped red. He took a shaky step back. The figure at the end of the hallway moved forward, mirroring his movements.
The closer it came, the colder the air became.
And then-
"You already know the truth."
A whisper. Right by his ear. Adrian spun around. No one was there.
When he turned back toward the figure-
It was standing right in front of him.
A pale face. Bloodshot eyes. Lips curled into a knowing smirk.
Daniel Reeves.
Adrian stumbled back, a scream caught in his throat as the figure moved closer to him.
And then—
He woke up.
Adrian gasped, sitting upright in bed.His chest heaved, sweat clinging to his skin despite the cold air in his apartment.
A nightmare. Just a nightmare. He told himself.
His head throbbed, the edges of the dream lingering like a ghost's whisper. He ran a trembling hand over his face-only to freeze. His fingers were damp with... sweat?
Sticky.
Dread clawed up his throat. Slowly, he lowered his hand, his gaze dropping to the bedsheets. Dark red stains smeared the fabric.
Blood.
His pulse lurched.No.NO. That wasn't—this wasn't possible. How?
His hands shook as he peeled back the blanket. His shirt was stained, his arms speckled with red. The overwhelming scent of iron filled his nostrils.
Panic roared through himas he scrambled out of bed, his breathing uneven. He fell down on the floor and his gaze staggered toward the mirror in his bedroom, hands bracing against the dresser as he took in his reflection.
His fingers. Still coated in red.
His breath shuddered out of him. He turned-his eyes flickering back to the bed. And then-
The blood was gone.
The sheets, once soaked in red, were pristine again. His clothes?clean. His hands—unmarked.
Adrian's body swayed slightly, a crushing weight settling in his chest.He gripped the edge of the dresser as he gulped down the lump in his throat.
This isn't real. This isn't real. His mind was in a trance and his gaze frantic as he kept looking here and there. He panted.
But the ghostly scent of blood still clung to the air.
And Adrian didn't sleep after that. He didn't DARE to.
---
Instead, he sat in his office the next morning, staring at his notes on Daniel Reeves. Trying to focus. Trying to make sense of things. Work. It made him feel alive and it occupied hsi mind. He loved his work and he was an absolute workaholic.
A knock on the door.
"Come in," he said, voice still hoarse.
The door creaked open, and Daniel stepped in. Adrian felt an unnatural stillness settle over the room.
Daniel looked the same as always-slim frame, dark circles beneath his eyes, a faintly amused expression on his lips. Yet there was something different today. Something off.
Daniel sat across from him, fingers laced together as he studied Adrian. "You look tired, Doctor."
Adrian exhaled slowly. Hsi eyes still on his notepad, though he had already stopped writing."Hmm..Rough night."
Daniel tilted his head slightly. "Nightmares?"
A chill slithered down Adrian's spine. He immediately looked up.
He hesitated. "How did you—"
Daniel smiled, a small smile as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes flickered to Adrian's hands, lingering just a second too long.Then he said, in a quiet, knowing voice-
"You..already know the truth."
Adrian's blood turned to ice and his eyes slightly widened.
The same words. The exact same words. From his dream.
For a moment, Adrian couldn't breathe. His fingers clenched around his pen, knuckles white.
His throat was dry when he finally spoke. "What... did you say?"
Daniel's expression remained unreadable. He didn't repeat himself.Instead, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His voice was softer this time.
"What? Oh...just a guess Doc. You... look like you've seen a ghost, Doctor. "
Adrian swallowed. "No."
A lie.
Because right now, in this moment,
Daniel Reeves wasn't just his patient. It was as if he was the one who was investigating his mind.
He was something else. Something that maybe.. shouldn't..exist?
And Adrian felt suddenly very small.