The Dream’s Aftermath

Chapter Sixteen – The Dream's Aftermath

When Unknown opened his eyes, he was shocked.

He remembered everything that had happened to him.

Instinctively, he looked at his hand and foot, took a deep breath, and then exhaled in relief.

There were no visible injuries.

Unconsciously, he tried to move his hand…

Then a sharp pain overwhelmed him, and he couldn't help but scream out loud.

He then heard footsteps approaching rapidly from a distance, coming toward Unknown's room.

— "What's going on!!!"

Ibrahim burst through the door, his face filled with worry.

— "What's happening now?"

He said this while examining Unknown.

After a while, Unknown calmed down.

Ibrahim asked,

— "What's wrong with you now? Why did you scream?"

Unknown replied, trying to suppress the pain,

— "My hand... it hurts so much..."

"Why..." Ibrahim wanted to continue, but he looked at Unknown and saw that there was something he wanted to say.

Fine, he sighed and added:

— "It seems like something strange happened to you. Explain it to me."

So Unknown told him everything that had happened, from the moment Ibrahim showed him the video until he tried to move his hand.

Ibrahim looked at Unknown in surprise, then recalled something as Unknown explained:

— "You said that, in the end, the world around you was filled with random colors, like a dream, and that it was chaotic.

And you said you invented and developed that technique, and that you fought that boxer..."

Putting it all together, and after contemplating deeply, both Ibrahim and Unknown realized it…

It was the first gift—the dream.

They said it at the same time.

They looked into each other's eyes, then...

Ibrahim grabbed his hair:

— "What have I gotten myself into? A cosmic conspiracy?!"

As for Unknown, he was filled with excitement when he remembered the feeling of inventing and developing those techniques.

But when he remembered the pain he felt, and the condition of his foot...

He couldn't help but feel nauseous from the intense pain and disgust at that mess of flesh and blood mixed together.

Unknown couldn't hold himself back after recalling it…

And shortly after, Ibrahim stepped out, with half of his face covered in vomit.

All that could be heard afterward were Unknown's pleas for forgiveness, saying he didn't mean it.

After some time, Ibrahim returned, clearly irritated:

— "Come on, get up and clean the room."

Unknown tried to do so, and as soon as he placed his foot on the ground...

A scream louder than the first one echoed.

Ibrahim couldn't help but put his hand to his head:

— "I forgot about that..."

He helped calm Unknown down and then said:

— "We need to figure out what happened to your body in the beginning. You said that in the dream, your flesh and blood were crushed, right?"

Unknown nodded, tears in his eyes.

Ibrahim felt pity for him, but he still said:

— "Pull yourself together. Men don't cry.

Remember, it was just a dream.

Look at your hand and foot—nothing actually happened to them, aside from that pain you're feeling."

Unknown nodded again, but he didn't seem to be listening.

Ibrahim shook his head and said to him:

— "I'll call the doctor, but we have to change locations. This place isn't suitable for receiving anyone."

He said that while glancing at a certain spot in the room.

— "What's going on here? What did this child do to strain his hand and foot to this extent?"

The doctor said this while eyeing Ibrahim with suspicion.

Ibrahim was stunned by that look, and remembered what the doctor just said.

He thought to himself:

Strain? So this is the price of injury in the dream?

But if that's the price of injury, what would be the price of death in the dream?

When the doctor saw that Ibrahim seemed distracted, he turned to Unknown and whispered to him:

— "Tell the truth, kid… who made you do this?

This doesn't seem like something you could handle on your own. Don't be afraid of him, you can tell me,

and with the press of a button, the police will be here, and that man won't be able to hurt or force you into anything."

The doctor said this as he pulled something out, raising it at an angle only Unknown could see.

Unknown looked at him in confusion and said:

— "Force me to do what? Uncle Ibrahim didn't do anything to me..."

The doctor looked at Unknown with pity, and thought to himself:

Those damn organizations, experimenting on a child who doesn't even know what's happening...

Yes, the doctor had linked what happened to Unknown to those organizations, which were infamous for experimenting on living people.

He wanted to press the button, thinking to himself:

Sure, they have influence, but if this goes public, they won't be able to touch this kid.

And if they try to do anything to me, it'll prove their connection. It could trigger a nationwide backlash against them,

since nobody likes them—people just need a reason. So they won't dare touch me.

But just before his hand reached the button...

He stopped because of what Unknown said:

— "I'm sorry, Uncle Ibrahim… You warned me about those exercises, but curiosity got the better of me…"

At that, the doctor's hand froze, and he looked at Unknown in astonishment.

He recalled something from a certain story, then looked at Unknown's hand and foot.

— "You mean that famous story where the protagonist trained using only one hand and one leg until complete exhaustion,

then gained superhuman strength across his entire body thanks to what he called the 'super-natural body'?

Are there really others who believe that nonsense?"

He remembered that trend from ten years ago and looked at Unknown.

Then Ibrahim, whose face now showed realization, added:

— "I knew it... So you were copying them again, weren't you?"

Then everything became clear to the doctor, who turned to Ibrahim and said apologetically:

— "Forgive me. I suspected you for a moment."

They looked at each other, their eyes conveying the message each wanted the other to understand.

They both nodded, then...

The doctor, as he was leaving, said:

— "Unknown, don't ever do that again. That idea is foolish and has no basis in reality.

Don't believe those charlatans spreading it."

He then turned to Ibrahim:

— "If it happens again, no need to call a doctor. Just make sure he doesn't move the parts he exercised for a few days,

and gradually, he'll recover. After a week, he'll be able to move his hand and foot again."

— "Goodbye."

He waved and closed the door.

...

After waiting two minutes, Ibrahim looked at Unknown and asked in confusion:

— "What were you guys talking about? What exercises? And what is this 'super-natural body' you mentioned?!"