Leaving the balcony, I went straight to my bedroom.
I quickly kicked off my shoes and threw myself onto the bed, exhausted.
Before long, I was ready to sleep. My eyes could barely stay open anymore—they felt so heavy.
So I just let them close.
…
Then I opened my eyes above a floating island high in the sky.
Dozens of dragons flew above me, breathing fire at one another.
Roars that made both sky and earth tremble echoed constantly.
I smiled as I took in the scene.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The ground beneath me shook as something large and heavy approached from behind.
I turned toward the sound and came face to face with the entrance of a deep, dark cave.
Dozens of bones piled both inside and outside it, exposing the lair of an untamed beast.
An emperor of the skies.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Slowly, a Wyvern emerged, its six golden eyes staring at me intensely, doubt lingering within them.
It was gigantic—larger than any other dragon flying in the heavens.
It inspired terror in anyone who saw the blood-red dominance of its armor, mixed with a pale white reminiscent of bones covering its lower half.
To encounter it was to encounter winged death.
"Is it him?" a blond young man wearing a wide-brimmed hat asked beside me, though I had no idea when he had approached.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The Wyvern continued advancing toward me. Both of us stood frozen, unreactive.
A unique feeling grew in my chest… it felt like euphoria, like experiencing love for the first time.
That persistent sensation of finding your other half.
Then it sniffed me—again and again. Its pupils dilated more and more, as if it had found the greatest drug in the world.
"It's him," the Wyvern said with delight.
The young man chuckled softly as he stepped closer to me.
"Who are you?" he asked with a smile.
"Light," I answered instinctively.
"No, you are not Light," he replied. "There are many Lights. Think again."
I brought a hand to my chin, pondering.
"I am Light, son of—" He shook his head again.
"I don't want to know your parents. I want to know who you are," he said, giving me another chance to answer.
"In that case…" I said, lowering my head in embarrassment. "I am Light, the delivery guy."
The Wyvern growled unhappily and stepped back.
"Then I must have made a mistake," it muttered furiously. "You are not him. There's no way a humble delivery man could be him."
"Get out of here at once, you wretch!" it roared as it retreated into the cave. "Never show your face again, maggot!"
My heart sank. Endless shame filled my chest, and all I could do was clench my teeth and fists.
However, the young man beside me simply laughed, ignoring the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"So you're Light, the delivery guy?" he asked again. "How can you be so sure? Couldn't you be something better?"
I frowned, offended.
"This is already my best," I said bitterly. "I lost my parents and had to choose between starving to death or working. And unfortunately, there are no 'good' jobs for those without college. This is all I could become. This is all I am."
"This is the natural flow of things," I said, dejected.
Hmmmmm
"You truly believe you are Light, the delivery guy," he said curiously. "Incredible—you really don't know who you are."
Sigh
"You are sleeping deeply," he said with conviction. "And it's my job to wake you up."
"So I ask you, Light the delivery guy," he continued in a deep, mysterious tone.
"Do you believe you gave it your all?" A chill ran down my spine. "Have you ever, in your life, gone to your limit and faced your demons head-on?"
"Of course I have, you idiot," I said, stepping back. "I always did my best—and this is as far as it took me."
He chuckled softly.
"Then you will die tomorrow," he said, laughing louder and louder. "No delivery man would survive that."
"What are you talking about?!" I turned, irritated.
"Awaken or die, Light!"
BZZ BZZ BZZ
My alarm went off, making me jump up in fright. My eyes darted around the room.
"What was that?" I rubbed my eyes hard.
Sigh
I brought my hand to my forehead, still shaken. I was certain I'd been talking to someone—and then I woke up.
"It must've been some strange dream…" I threw myself out of bed, my heart pounding hard.
My life-or-death instincts had kicked in full force.
BZZ BZZ BZZ
Meanwhile, my phone kept vibrating loudly on the bed. I ignored it with a yawn and went to the bathroom to clean up.
In front of the mirror, I put toothpaste on my toothbrush and began brushing.
Strangely, however, a question kept repeating endlessly in my mind.
"Did I really give my best?" I asked myself, staring deeply into my eyes reflected in the mirror.
I spat the foam into the sink as the doubt kept hammering at my head.
I then slowly walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Beep
I turned on the TV and left it on the news channel.
[ We are here in front of the tower!!! Experts believe that— ]
"What the hell is this…"
Thud
The remote slipped from my hand.