Of Fire and Fear

"Scath" approached him and spoke in a low voice: "You have caused a temporal overlap between the past and the present, Hazel! Thus, the two timelines and worlds have merged into one! Your present and your past are living in the same dimension! This is the temporal tear I previously told you that you would cause! Now, we are trying to avoid falling into temporal distortion! As for the sedatives, they have expired after you entered the loop the first time in the sewers! Because after each loop you repeat for years in your dreams, you fall into a coma in the real world for six months…"

"Hazel" interrupted him loudly: "What am I to blame for?! What should I do?! Is that student really me in the past?!"

"Scath" replied: "As I told you, that student is indeed you! You must not be seen by him if we are to avoid temporal distortion! If the Hazel from the past sees you, it will cause the destruction of this entire dimension!!!"

Before "Hazel" could respond, "Scath" vanished into nothingness as if he had never been there…

…

"Hazel" awoke to find himself in the hospital again! He felt immense fear and horror, and his hair had grown long! The shine of his curly black hair brushed against his neck, and his thick black beard nearly concealed parts of his features. He hid his shiny brown left hand among the folds of his long robe. His appearance was chaotic and disheveled; his features seemed disorganized and scattered. Questions bombarded him from all directions, but he felt a tremendous sense of betrayal, as if he had fallen victim to a grand conspiracy! A conspiracy led by "Scath" and his accomplices.

Suddenly! The doctor entered and spoke: "How are you feeling?"

"Hazel" remained silent and did not respond!

The doctor spoke again: "Of course, your condition is serious! You have been in a coma for six months! Do you have any family?"

"Hazel's" eyes widened at the doctor's words! He felt an even greater horror than before, for he realized the truth of "Scath's" words, which meant that after every loop he entered during the telepathy, he indeed lost consciousness for six months in the real world. Perhaps this was due to the years he spent in the dream, reliving the same scene for many years! This made him connect the events and remember the car accident when he lost his arm; he also fell into a coma that lasted six months! So that means "Scath" was right! His present time affects his past time as well!

"Hazel" felt like his mind was about to shut down! He was filled with immense hatred toward "Scath" and society as a whole. Despite all of "Scath's" words backed by reality, "Hazel" remained unconvinced! He doubted everyone, and reality tore apart before him; he could no longer discern truth from dream! Perhaps he was just imagining it all! Why not? Maybe "Scath" had drugged him, or perhaps all of this was due to that pill he took during his first encounter with "Scath"!! Whatever the reasons, "Hazel" decided to put an end to it all! He resolved to take revenge on this entire world. As "Scath" had said, if "Hazel" met his past self, it would lead to the destruction of this dimension! He didn't care; let everything be destroyed, as long as it meant he could escape the torment that pursued him! Yes, if he could kill his past self, who had not yet suffered from the telepathy, he might be able to save himself from this agony! Death had become more merciful to him than this pain!

He fled from the hospital as well! He headed deep into the sewers where he had left the box full of sedatives! Terror coursed through his veins at the possibility that it might not be there. But when he arrived, he was surprised to find the box in its place, and a few drops of hope surged within him! He couldn't believe "Scath's" ridiculous claims about all those sedatives being expired! He quickly grabbed the box and began searching through the containers of sedatives one by one, looking for the expiration dates… He froze in horror when he discovered the disaster! All the sedatives and medications he had taken had indeed expired! They had expired three months after he stole them!! This meant they had been valid at the beginning when he first arrived in the sewers!! But due to the exhaustion from running, he had fallen asleep in the sewers without taking any of the sedatives! This had caused him to lose consciousness for a full six months due to the loop! When he finally regained awareness, the sedatives were already expired! This explained why he had entered the telepathy and the loop again despite having taken five sedatives!

"Hazel" was struck with panic as he realized this, feeling despair and resignation! How could his life withstand these recurring nightmares and this loop in which he was imprisoned whenever he dozed off?! The absurdity of life increased for "Hazel," and he decided to end everything and free himself from this torment; he had nothing left to lose!!! But he wanted to rescue his past self from this suffering that would pursue and haunt him! He resolved to liberate himself! He put the medications and sedatives into a black plastic bag! Then he headed to a place he knew well…