End of the day

I woke up in the morning, unsure if I had dreamt at all. My body still felt tired, but something about this morning was different. It was special. The teenagers I had saved were at my house, eager to know what had happened and how I managed to save them—and myself.

I invited them inside, allowing them into my small home. As I sat down, they joined me, their curious eyes fixed on me, waiting for answers.

A house that had never seen guests now had people inside. A floor where no one had ever sat beside me was now occupied by those I had saved. The same people who once avoided me were now sitting beside me, listening intently to the tale of my victory.

I began recounting everything—leaving out the part about the dream, of course—and added a bit of extra flair to make it even more captivating.

They were impressed. One of them spoke up,

"Is that the power of the gray eyes?"

I raised an eyebrow and replied,

"Why do you think that?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering,

"My parents once told me a story about this world. They said that all gray-eyed people possess a hidden power, a power even they're unaware of. They only discover it when they find themselves in a truly desperate situation."

I asked him,

"And what do you mean by my power? What power are you referring to?"

He looked at me and said,

"When we were in that critical situation, you told us to run to the jungle on the right while you went to distract them. We watched as you walked straight into the middle of the gunfire and then ran toward the jungle on the left. We thought you wouldn't make it.They were chasing after you, and it seemed impossible to survive. But then you came back alive, completely unharmed. Not a scratch, not even a speck of dust on your face. So, I thought maybe you'd awakened your power. Did you?"

I was surprised by his deduction.Smirking, I said,

"Why don't you consider becoming a police officer or a lawyer?"

I laughed as I spoke. Then I added,

"No, I didn't awaken any power. I was just lucky, that's all. I hid and attacked them at the right moments. There's nothing more to it."

All of them also laughed with me. They were impressed and thankful to me because I saved their life. They also spoke of their parents reaction when they came back unharmed. They shared , what were they feeling at that time. One was so scared when I heard gunfire that he peed in his pants. One was panicking. One was crying . It was like everyone had same nightmare that they can't escape.

I knew exactly how they felt. I had heard their cries, seen their fear, and witnessed their reactions as they faced what felt like certain death.

But now that I had saved them, everything was fine.

I asked for their names, and one by one, they began introducing themselves. I smiled and admitted,

"I've never really interacted with people before, so I might not remember all your names."

Even so, there was one name I wouldn't forget—the one whose deduction had been almost perfect. His name was Raj.

They all asked my name at once, their voices overlapping in unison.

"I am Avasyu", I replied calmly.

Until that moment, they had only known me as the gray-eyed one. For the first time, they heard my name. Smiling, they said together,

"Now that we know each other's names, we're friends."

After chatting all day, they finally headed back to their homes, leaving me alone once again. My body felt drained, and my mind craved rest. Perhaps the dream had taken more of a toll on me than I realized.

But now, there was no threat. I thought to myself, I can sleep.

I lay down on my bed, letting my exhaustion take over. Before I drifted off, a single thought lingered in my mind,

"I made new friends. They'll come back tomorrow, and the day after, too."

For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace. I had made new friends.

Before I finally closed my eyes, I did one last thing.

I slipped a rubber band onto my wrist, stretching it as far as it would go before letting it snap back against my skin. The sting was sharp and intense—it hurt more than I expected. But that pain was what I needed. It reassured me that this was reality, not another dream.

I slept peacefully.

Then morning came, and I found myself waiting for them. But they didn't show up. An hour passed, then two, then three. From morning until midday, I waited, but they never came.

As I sat there in silence, my mind drifted back to the dream.

"Why did I see those dreams? Why did they play out in real life? Was it really some kind of special power? And if it was, how can I dream like that again?"

After a lot of thinking, I came to some conclusions and made a few speculations.

I believe the dream only works when my life is in danger. Through it, I seem to be able to bend fate in my favor, saving not only myself but others as well. But why did it translate into reality?

In the dream, I experienced everything—except pain. Yet, all the other emotions felt so vivid, so real. I must have pushed myself to the limit in those dreams. Since everything mirrored reality so closely, my body functioned in the same way it does in real life. Although I didn't feel tired in the dream, here in reality, my brain and body are overwhelmed with exhaustion.

"I don't know if this ability is truly my power. I don't know how to summon the dream again. But maybe, when the time comes, it will return. And when that moment arrives, I'll be ready—to use it again, to continue helping everyone."

It was nearing the afternoon, and my friends still hadn't come. Worried, I decided to go to the village to find out why. But when I arrived, they weren't there.

"Where are my friends?"

I asked the villagers, my tone serious.

Their response chilled me. The children had been missing that morning. They had gone out to meet me but never returned. Panic filled their voices as they asked me,

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know anything!' I stammered. 'They didn't meet me. They never showed up—I was waiting for them the entire time!"

But no one was listening. Their suspicious eyes bore into me, the same way they always had before. Then someone muttered the words I feared most,

"You really are a cursed one."

The weight of those words shattered me. Heartbroken, I couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. I turned and ran, aimlessly, not knowing or caring where my feet were taking me.

Before I knew it, I found myself back at the place where all the chaos had unfolded before. I didn't even know why I had come here. But when I arrived, the sight before me left me frozen.

Ten corpses hung lifelessly from the trees—five to the left, five to the right.

Those were the corpses of my friends.

I was too stunned to cry. My heart screamed, but no sound escaped my lips.

What happened? Why did this happen to them? Just yesterday, they had become my friends—my very first group of friends. And now they were gone.

I couldn't even remember all their names.

"Am... am I really cursed?" I asked to myself.

"I definitely am." I answered myself, looking at those corpses.

I felt the presence of multiple people behind me. At first, I thought they were villagers. Then I noticed a man walking toward me from the front. The sun was beginning to set, its faint glow casting long shadows around us. Tears streamed down my face, falling to my chin as I glanced into the man's eyes.

His eyes was glowing—a radiant golden hue.

My suspicion grew, and I turned to look behind me. But instead of seeing humans, all I saw were dozens of glowing golden eyes piercing through the growing darkness.

They were all staring at me, unblinking.

The sight was terrifying. It felt as if I were a powerless prey surrounded by ruthless predators, closing in for the kill.

They caught me, their grips unyielding as they held me tightly in place. The man from before came closer. He looked directly into my eyes.

I saw his golden eye glowing eerily in the darkness. He, in turn, saw my teary gray eyes filled with anger and despair.

Through gritted teeth, I asked,

"Did you do this?"

He held my gaze, an unsettling grin forming on his face. Then he laughed, a low, mocking sound that sent chills down my spine.

" Yes"

he said, his voice calm and deliberate.

"I did."

After that... I don't remember.

No matter how hard I try, I can't recall what they did or what happened to me after that moment.

"I just... can't remember."

"Why I don't remember anything?What happened to me?"