Sunlight rested softly on Nacht’s face—but the branches above him gently blocked most of it, as if they were whispering, “He’s too tired… let him sleep a little longer.”
Then, drifting down from nowhere, a small blue butterfly with shimmering wings landed right on his nose.
The tiny weight made his eyelids twitch. Slowly… Nacht opened his eyes.
And what he saw left him breathless.
A massive tree towered above him, shading him with its branches while warm sunlight slipped through in soft rays. A cool breeze brushed against his skin—but not cold. The sky above was a clear, perfect blue, and beautiful birds glided down through the air like falling petals.
For a moment, Nacht wondered if he was still dreaming. He had never imagined a world this beautiful. Maybe he had stopped expecting beauty at all.
He raised a hand toward the sky.
“Umhmm… this sky is so beautiful. I wish this were real.”
The moment he whispered that, a huge bird with wide, elegant wings swooped past him—its entire body pure white, with a long sweeping tail. As it flew, fruits began blooming on the tree above him… and behind the bird trailed a radiant light he had never seen before.
“Huh? What… what was that?”
He blinked, but the creature had already vanished, leaving behind only the faint rustling of disturbed air.
“Ahh… dreams are really strange, man…”
He tried to ignore it. He had to. Because the truth behind such beauty felt too unbelievable.
With a slow movement, Nacht pushed himself up. He looked left… then right… taking in the scenery he had never seen in his life. He inhaled deeply.
“Hmmm… ahhhh.”
“So peaceful… I wish this wasn’t just a dream. Any moment Mom might come in yelling to wake me up…”
He ran a hand through his hair—right where his adoptive mother had grabbed him last night. And suddenly, the pain returned. Sharp. Familiar.
“Shhh… ahhh… even here, this pain doesn’t leave me…”
His expression dimmed. He lowered his head.
“Maybe… that’s just my fate. But… I still have to live, right?”
A faint smile appeared on his lips—tired, but warm. Despite everything, he didn’t want to complain.
GWRRRRR… GWWRRR…
Nacht quickly placed a hand on his stomach.
“Oh come on… I’m hungry even inside a dream? Seriously?”
He had no idea he wasn’t on Earth anymore. This wasn’t the world where pain lived with him.
This was the world he was meant to be in.
“Well whatever… there’s food here. Plenty of fruits up there. I can manage.”
He climbed the tree, picked a few fruits, and took a big bite—
Bite!
“Umhmmm—okay, these are actually good. No—they’re amazing. Ahhh, I could eat all of them.”
And he did.
Burp!
He patted his stomach, satisfied.
“Thank you, Mr. Tree, for the delicious fruits. If this wasn’t a dream, I’d definitely repay you someday.”
He bowed to the tree, unaware that the spot on his scalp—where his mother had grabbed him—began glowing faintly with a soft green light.
“Hmmm… I still have time. Maybe I should just—uhh?!”
Confused, he checked his pocket—and pulled out his phone and earphones.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Wait… these came with me? In a dream? How? And these earphones even have the same scratches… but that shouldn’t happen…”
Small details like this never appear in dreams.
And yet… here they were.
“Ahh, maybe it’s just in my mind. Yeah… probably that.”
He convinced himself and kept walking.
Flowers bloomed everywhere. A scent so calming that the soul could melt in it. A world so green and gentle that a person could live here forever.
“I mean… this place looks like a dream, but it doesn’t feel like one… still, it has to be a dream. Ahhhh, what a place…”
He wandered deeper, entering a quieter forest where birdsong echoed like music.
Suddenly—
A girl dashed past him, head lowered, running from right to left.
Their eyes met for just two seconds.
By the time he turned to follow or check who she was—she was gone.
Only the bushes still shook from her passing.
“Uhhh… why was she running so fast? Should I follow? Ahhh… no, forget it. Not my business.”
He moved on.
Soon he found a waterfall. Nacht knelt, drank the cold water, and splashed it on his face.
gushh… crashhh… splashhhh
“Ahhhh… refreshing. So good. I don’t know why I’m so thirsty… this is still a dream, right? The sun is setting… but why am I not waking up?”
A chill ran through him.
Everything felt too real.
His wet shirt clung to him.
His skin felt the cold breeze.
The water felt alive against his hands.
“Wait… is this real?”
His heartbeat quickened.
Just then he noticed a sharp, thin, black stone near the waterfall. Water crashed over it, sharpening it further.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then stepped forward.
Nacht crouched and picked it up.
“There’s only one way to know the truth. If I get hurt—if it hurts—then this isn’t a dream. And if nothing happens… then it is.”
His chest tightened.
His heartbeat pounded.
Dhak… dhak… dhak…
He exhaled.
Closed his eyes.
Then—
Dragged the stone hard across his palm.
AAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Birds scattered from the trees in fright. His scream echoed, but the roar of the waterfall drowned most of it.
“Shhh—ahhh!”
“It hurts—why does it hurt so much?!”
His face twisted in pain—yet a smile fought its way through.
“Good… good… this means I’m not dreaming. If it was a dream… I’d have to go back to that hell. I’d rather take this pain than that.”
The fear wasn’t the pain.
The fear was going back to the life he escaped.
He tore off his sleeve and wrapped his hand tightly to stop the bleeding.
“At least I’m in a forest. There’s water. I won’t die hungry… probably.”
He sighed.
“But who brought me here? Must’ve been Mom… she probably wanted to get rid of me.”
His expression dimmed—only for a moment.
“Well… it’s fine. I’m free now. I just hope she stays happy.”
Even after all that… his heart still wished good for her.
The sun dipped lower. Shadows stretched long through the forest.
“Ahh, great… should’ve realized earlier. I wasted so much time. Now what do I eat at night? I can’t even cook properly…”
As he complained, he heard a splash behind him.
SWIshhhh… FLOppp…
He turned—and saw fish leaping in the lake. Larger than normal ones.
A tiny smile appeared.
“Aha… everyone leaves, but God doesn’t. Thank you, God.”
Later…
Crackling fire.
Sparks rising.
Fish roasting.
Nacht had managed to catch a few and even start a fire—thanks to school.
“Ahhh… good thing I paid attention in class. I know how to catch fish and start a fire. At least I won’t freeze.”
His wet shirt hung near the flames to dry.
He took one freshly cooked fish.
“Ahh hot—hot—hot!”
“No salt… but it’s fine. Be grateful!”
He took a big bite.
Swallow! Gurpp!
The moment he swallowed, something strange surged through him.
“Huh… the taste is weird—ahghu… huh… w-what—”
His vision darkened.
His head spun.
His heart raced wildly.
Dhak… dhak… dhak… dhakk!!!
Then—
Thud!!!
Nacht collapsed.
His body hit the ground.
His eyes closed.
how was this chapter ?
