Succinylcholine

Nam had started drawing the dream, but it felt as if a weight had settled over his mind. The dream wouldn't leave his thoughts.

As his mind grew clearer, his body tensed. He gripped the pen tightly, as if he had reached a turning point in his life. His fingers trembled. He couldn't draw anything.

His chest tightened, and his heart felt heavy. He couldn't hold the pen any longer, but he didn't want to let it go either. With great effort, he managed to draw only a door.

But despite himself, the pen slipped from his fingers. Nam sat there, drenched in sweat, staring at the paper on his desk.

He quickly went to the kitchen and grabbed a painkiller. He swallowed it immediately, but nothing changed. When he looked to his side, he saw the same necklace. He wanted to reach out and take it, though he wasn't sure why.

"Why did Mom put this here?" he muttered. Did she really put it there? If it were him, he wouldn't have.

The moment he extended his hand, a wave of fear spread through his entire body. He didn't know why, but he began to tremble. He couldn't move a single part of his body—it was as if he were prey caught in a wolf's gaze.

"N-Ngh… what's happening?" he stammered, his voice shaking. He tried to speak again, but he couldn't

His heart pounded wildly, his breathing grew erratic. He had never felt fear like this before. Slowly, he sank to the floor, barely able to move his hand. But at that moment, the fear intensified.

The suffocating sensation nearly killed him.

He started sweating even more, his heart racing. His vision blurred. Still, he pushed himself to reach out and, with great difficulty, managed to grasp the necklace. But the moment he touched it, an indescribable unease filled him.

Why are you taking it, you idiot? Just leave it. What's the point of this unnecessary action?

The necklace bore the symbol of a snake devouring its own tail. Despite the unease crawling under his skin, he returned to his room and threw the necklace onto his desk. Thoughts echoed in his mind:

"What exactly happened?"

"Why couldn't I move my body, and why did I start sweating?"

Because you're an idiot, Nam.

He looked at his hand. A small wound. Without a second thought, he wiped the blood away with a tissue and returned to his desk.

After pondering for a while, an idea crossed his mind:

"Did someone put a curse on me?"

"But… no one hates me… right? Or… do they, and I just never noticed?"

He pulled out a lollipop and started licking it.

He tried to stand up but couldn't. His body felt heavy, as if every limb was rebelling against him. That's when he realized—he had been poisoned.

But how? The only thing that came to mind was the wound on his hand. Was there powdered poison on the necklace? Nothing else made sense.

He couldn't speak. Fear filled his eyes, but it wasn't the fear of death. Even he didn't know what he was afraid of.

A strange warmth spread through his body, and his eyes widened.

What happened to his mother? In one word—she was murdered.

On the bed, he saw his little sister's toy doll. Behind the door, a shadow flickered. Someone was there.

Then, a mocking giggle echoed from behind the door.

Nam didn't recognize the sound. He had never heard anything like it before. In fact… was it even human? He wasn't sure. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to move.

He wanted to see who was laughing.

"Who is that? Why are they laughing? Is this thing really human?"

He was angry, but more than that, he was worried. Not for himself—for his mother.

And then, like a lightning strike, the truth hit him. This… was the same as the dream.

But he had no power to stop it. He tried to move. Over and over again. But it was useless. Time had already run out for him.

February 10, 2020 – Nam died.

A few days later, the headlines read:

"University student Nam Larod found dead in his room. Cause of death: poisoning. The only suspicious object found at the scene was a bloodstained necklace. On the same day, his mother was shot and killed at their home. The only surviving family members are the father and the younger sibling. Authorities are investigating the connection between the incidents."

The end?

…

…

…

Or the beginning of an even greater nightmare?