I jerked awake in my bed,
hands tearing through the sheets,
wrenched right out
from a nightmare.

My breath was staggered,
sweat stuck to my shirt,

I was literally

dragged
right out of sleep.

But deep into my bones
I was scared.

So, so scared.

My voice was stuck
in my painfully bitter throat,
my mouth was dry.

The air conditioning was cold,
the room was dark,
the alarm clock gleamed 2:05AM.

My teeth clenched,
and I raised both hands before me.

My palms weren't red,
weren't splashed with red,

weren't a murderer's hands.

I reached for the mirror.

My hair was brown,
my eyes were black.

I wore nightwear,

I didn't have a scythe
hanging at my back.

I was in reality,

I was back to normal.

My fingers crumpled--

And I wrapped my arms
around myself.

I wasn't cold at all,

but something inside my
was icy,
and missing,
like a gap.

Maybe it's my humanity.

My phone lit up
and on the black screen,
a simple notification was displayed.

╔═══════════════╗

『DREAM-EATER』
has surrendered.

GAIN: 800k GOLD

╚═══════════════╝