Shin thrashed and thrashed and thrashed, but the creature would not let go of him.
It held Shin by his pants and dragged him deeper and deeper with terrifying agility and speed. Shin started getting tired from struggling.
The drag of the water, his constant thrashing, and the lack of oxygen quickly exhausted him, and he passed out.
When Shin closed his eyes, he felt himself falling from a great height. The wind hit him from all directions.
When he opened his eyes, he was plummeting through a black chasm of the abyss.
Oh, this again. And here I wanted to finish that memory-dream or whatever.
Shin looked down and saw a bright light at the bottom. He shifted his position and nosedived straight into it.
Shin closed his eyes and shot right through the light. When he opened them, he was falling—again.
He looked below and saw an island. Without hesitation, Shin dove for it, hitting the ground like a missile and leaving a large crater in the beach.
Shin got up, feeling strange. He had sustained almost no damage from the fall.
I don't know why I thought that would hurt. I'm dreaming right now… or my soul is somewhere else. Now, what is up with this island?
Just as Shin was lost in thought, he heard rustling in the bushes ahead. He looked closer.
A tiny black dragon hatchling emerged, with two large horns forming an arc atop its head. The dragon ran up to Shin and began sniffing him.
Unaware of the danger, Shin tried to pet it. The dragon latched onto his hand, biting him.
Shin didn't feel any pain. He tried to pull his hand back, but he could not—the dragon had surprising strength.
"Okay. You've had your fun. Now let go of my hand," Shin said, continuing to try and yank his hand free.
The dragon wiggled its tail like a dog. Shin immediately knew what was about to happen, but it was too late.
The dragon dragged Shin across the island, destroying trees and rocks in its path. It carried him into the center of the island, onto an open plain.
It tossed Shin in front of it, then ran off. When Shin got up, he saw a man sitting in the middle of the clearing, under an umbrella, with a table in front of him.
Shin approached. It was the Demon God, sitting calmly, reading a book and sipping tea.
The Demon God looked up at Shin, then back at his book.
"Feel free to pour yourself a cup of tea," he said, gesturing toward the teacups and teapot on the table.
Shin stared at him, then at the dragon hatchling next to him. Just before he could speak, the Demon God spoke again.
"But be careful—you might be stuck with me here forever."
Shin immediately understood the meaning of those words. He closed his eyes and felt himself back in the water.
When he opened them, he was underwater again.