I'm alive, and that's all that matters

"Honey, look! He's waking up."

"Reyan, son, are you okay?"

"Reyan? Can you hear us?"

"M...Mom? D...Dad? I...?"

"Thank God! You're finally awake."

"Aunty, I'll go get the doctor!"

"Yes..."

"Where am I...?"

"Don't speak too much, dear."

"Yes, just rest for now."

Reyan's vision was still blurry, but he could hear his parents' voices. He touched his face and muttered weakly, "Huh? What's this on my face?"

He tried to focus, attempting to clear his vision and even trying to sit up...

"No, don't get up yet, son! You're still not in good shape. If you need anything, just tell me."

"Mom? But... but why are you crying? And... where am I?"

"Reyan!!! Your mother just told you to rest! Just do that! Asking questions won't change anything now... We warned you not to stay alone, but no, you never listen! Now, suffer the consequences."

"Enough! This isn't the time to argue!"

"Hmph..."

As Reyan's vision cleared slightly, he turned to his left and saw his mother holding his hand, his father standing right beside her. He scanned the room, and only then did he realize—he was in a hospital.

"Huh? What's all this? How did I get here? Oxygen mask on my face...? What happened to me? And... how did I end up here?"

"Oh, so you're finally awake, Reyan?"

"That voice... It sounds familiar! Wait... it's Prince!"

"Are you still in pain?"

Reyan shook his head slightly.

"I knew it! My brave friend wouldn't be taken down by some minor injuries."

Reyan smiled a little.

Just then, the doctor entered the room.

"Wow! You regained consciousness pretty quickly."

He walked over to Reyan, checking his pulse.

"Hmm, all good... You'll need to rest here for a few more days. After that, you'll be running around like before."

Reyan smiled slightly and thought to himself, "Why is this doctor treating me like a kid?"

Reyan's father turned to a young girl standing nearby, about Reyan's age.

"Thank you, dear... If it weren't for you... we might have lost our son today."

His father broke down in tears.

"Oh, uncle, there's no need to thank me. Anyone in my place would have done the same."

Wiping his tears, Reyan's father replied, "Still, what you did... especially for a girl your age... it's a big thing."

"Hmm..."

Meanwhile, Reyan was deep in thought. What exactly happened to me?

"Wait... now I remember!"

His eyes widened in shock.

"I was heading home from the office... I had met that middle-aged man near the tea shop."

"Excuse me, sir, could you make some space?"

The man nodded.

"Thank you."

Another silent nod.

"We talked for a while... He said he was a writer. He looked like someone who hadn't slept in days. The way he spoke was strange... And then he said something to me..."

"Take care of yourself. Lately, people have been disappearing from this area..."

"After that, he left."

"Then, I met Prince, and we went to a bar together. He told me he lived nearby too. He drank a little too much, so I said goodbye and left. It was already quite late. Since I didn't have any groceries at home, I stopped by the supermarket. The counter's machine was broken, so that took extra time...

"I walked home alone... I saw some drunk people on the roadside, some stray dogs barking at me... Finally, around 11 PM, I reached my room. I placed my bags down, took out my keys from my pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. After closing the door, I removed my shoes, changed clothes, and lay straight on my bed...

"After that... After that... Why can't I remember anything? Was I attacked...? Why can't I remember? That face... The face I saw... It seemed familiar... Wait... That middle-aged man! That writer...!"

"I had just laid down when I heard a noise from the bathroom. I ignored it at first... But then, I heard the bathroom door creak open. I slightly opened my eyes, but because it was dark, I couldn't see properly... And then, suddenly, a light shone on my face... And someone rushed towards me!"

______________________________________________________________

In the flashback, Reyan saw fast-approaching footsteps.

Then—a sudden blow to his head!

Blood started dripping from his forehead.

The attacker grabbed him, throwing him off the bed and tying up his hands and feet. Reyan tried to scream—

"S-someone... Help...!!"

But then, using all his strength, he shouted—

"HELP MEEEE!!!"

In the apartment next door, Reyan's neighbor stirred awake.

"Eh? That voice?"

Meanwhile, the attacker clamped a hand over Reyan's mouth. With the other, he plunged a knife into Reyan's stomach. Reyan gasped in pain, catching a glimpse of the attacker's face—

"That writer?!"

The neighbor hesitated.

"Did I really hear something? Maybe I imagined it... But still... No, I definitely heard something!"

She pressed her ear against the wall, trying to listen again.

"No... Maybe it really was just my imagination. Work stress must be messing with my head... I should just go back to sleep."

She pulled the blanket over her head and dozed off.

---

Back in Reyan's room, the attacker had completely silenced him. But Reyan was still bleeding. To stop the blood from spilling, the man wrapped him tightly in his own blanket.

He then unlocked the door and peeked outside—left, then right. Everything was silent.

Satisfied, he went back inside and started dragging Reyan's wrapped-up body toward the door.

Just then, the neighbor removed her blanket.

"Ugh, I won't be able to sleep without checking..."

The attacker reached the doorway. But as he turned to his right—

Their eyes met.

The neighbor froze. Then, she looked down—her eyes widening as she saw Reyan, wrapped in the blanket.

She screamed—

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

The entire apartment building woke up.

The attacker grabbed a hammer and charged toward the neighbor.

But before he could reach her—

With all her strength, she flung a frying pan straight at his face!

CLANG!!!

The metal struck him hard, sending him to the ground.

She screamed again—

"HELP!!! THERE'S A KILLER HERE!!!"

In a panic, she threw her phone at him—hitting him square in the nose.

Groaning, the attacker stumbled to his feet and fled.

By now, many residents had come out of their rooms. One of them quickly called the police.

Meanwhile, the neighbor ran to Reyan, checking if he was still breathing.

"Is he... still alive?"

"Yes, but he's losing a lot of blood! If we don't act fast, he won't make it!"

"Wait! I'll call an ambulance!"

"No! It might take too long. We need to get him to the hospital now!"

"I have a car! I'll get my keys—just carry him downstairs!"

They rushed Reyan down as the neighbor girl grabbed his phone from his room.

Once inside the car, she dialed Reyan's mother.

"Hello? You didn't call me today—"

"Aunty! Please, calm yourself... Your son... He was attacked. We're taking him to the city hospital. Please come as soon as possible!"

"WHAT?! Who are you?! Are you talking about Reyan?!"

"Yes, Aunty. Please, hurry!"

Reyan's mother collapsed to the floor.

"What happened?! Is everything okay?!"

She stammered—"Reyan... Reyan was attacked..."

"WHAT?! What are you saying?!"

"I called him just now, but a girl answered... She said he's in critical condition..."

"ATTACKED?!"

"We need to leave, now!"

Reyan was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors immediately began treating him. Meanwhile, his phone rang again—it was Prince calling.

"Hello? You made it home, right?"

A stranger answered the call instead. "Hello!!! Listen, Reyan is at City Hospital right now. Whoever you are to him, please come quickly. His condition is critical."

Prince's heart sank. "W-what? What happened to him?! I'm coming right away. Please… just take care of him until I get there!"

Without wasting a second, Prince jumped on his bike and raced to the hospital. As soon as he arrived, he spotted the people who had brought Reyan in.

"Are you Prince?"

Breathless, he nodded. "Y-yeah… Where is that idiot?"

"He's in the operation theater right now."

Hearing this, Prince sprinted toward the OT. His voice trembled with frustration and sorrow. "That bastard… couldn't he have just stayed with me?!"

Reaching the OT doors, he stopped, gripping his fists tightly. A voice broke the silence.

"Oh, so you're his brother?"

Prince swallowed hard. "N-no… I'm his… his b-best friend."

Tears welled up in his eyes. He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to suppress his sobs.

"It's okay… you can cry."

His voice cracked as he asked, "How… how did this happen?"

"A killer broke into his room and attacked him brutally. It was sheer luck that the bastard panicked and ran away. We called the police—they're already searching for him. He'll be caught soon."

Prince wiped his eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

The person gestured towards a girl nearby. "If you really want to thank someone, thank her. If she hadn't screamed for help, your friend wouldn't have survived."

Prince turned to the girl, stepped forward, and bowed slightly. "Thank you."

She shook her head. "No… there's no need for that."

A little while later, Reyan's parents arrived. They found Prince outside the OT. Reyan's mother, her face pale with fear, clutched Prince's arms. "Where is he? Where is our son?!"

Prince led them to the OT. "He's been in there for over two hours… His injuries must be serious."

Reyan's mother broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Her husband held her tightly, trying to console her. Everyone else looked equally tense, their faces heavy with worry.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally stepped out of the OT.

Reyan's mother rushed forward. "Doctor! How is my son?!"

The doctor offered a reassuring nod. "There's no need to panic now. His condition has stabilized. You can see him tomorrow morning. For now, he will remain under observation in the OT."

Relief washed over Reyan's parents. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor turned to the people who had brought Reyan in. "If you want to thank someone, thank them. They got him here in time."

Reyan's father and mother turned to the neighbors and the car owner who had helped. "We are truly grateful to you."

The car owner smiled. "It's nothing. Your son will recover soon. I should get going now—my wife and kids are alone at home."

Reyan's father bowed slightly. "Once again, thank you."

The Next Day…

Reyan slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but as he adjusted, memories of the previous night came rushing back.

"So… that's what happened to me?"

He sat in silence for a moment, but his mind refused to settle.

"But… what about that? The Faceless Monster… the loop… Was it all just my imagination? No… it felt too real. Every moment of terror… every death… it all felt real."

His heart started pounding.

"No… what am I thinking? It had to be a dream. That middle-aged man… or should I say, that writer… he told me he was working on a story about a time loop. Maybe that's why I had that dream. No… not a dream… a NIGHTMARE."

He let out a deep breath, shaking his head.

"Whatever it was, I survived. If I hadn't, I would never have seen my parents and my friends again."

A soft smile slowly spread across his lips.

"I'm alive. And that's all that matters."