Ethan was asleep in the chair, his head tilted to one side.
Next to him, Liane was asleep on the bed, and the place seemed eerily quiet after everything that had happened that day.
Ethan opened his eyes.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
The room was pitch black, with only a faint light filtering in from under the door.
He slowly raised his head, then looked at the bed. There was nothing there.
He paused.
Then he remembered Lian.
The sleep vanished from his face instantly.
He sat up quickly, then stood and headed for the door. Lian shouldn't have been able to return home on her own. The bond between them wasn't something she could simply ignore, and leaving required his will.
He opened the door.
He stopped.
It was the same room.
But it wasn't the way he remembered it.
The furniture was in different places, the lighting was dim, and the air was unnaturally still, making the place feel familiar and strange at the same time.
Ethan raised his eyes.
Someone was sitting on the chair.
His back was facing him.
Ethan took a step forward.
Then the person stood.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Slowly.
He turned around.
It was Ethan.
The same face.
The same clothes.
But something was wrong.
His neck was tilted at an unnatural angle, yet he stood in front of him as if it meant nothing.
He smiled.
"Strange, isn't it?"
Ethan froze.
He couldn't answer.
The other Ethan laughed quietly before continuing.
"Everyone talks about life as if it's something that's simply given."
He raised his eyes toward Ethan.
"But they rarely think about the other side."
Ethan remained silent.
"The one who takes it."
Ethan tried to ask who he was, but the words wouldn't come out.
The other Ethan stepped closer.
"You think you've forgotten something."
He stopped in front of him.
"But that's not it."
Ethan stared at him cautiously.
The man continued:
"Sometimes, a person remembers something at the wrong time. Thinking that what happened has passed and been changed."
He fell silent for a moment.
"But changing it doesn't mean you can erase it."
His smile grew slightly.
"What happened... happened."
Ethan's voice was still trapped in his throat.
Then, finally, he managed to speak.
"Who fuck are you?"
The man continued staring at him.
"Me?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Just a fellow traveler."
"What does that mean?"
"It means our paths crossed, but we have the same destination."
He stepped closer until only a short distance separated them.
"And I'll be waiting for you when your journey ends."
A chill ran through Ethan's body.
He didn't know why.
He took a step back.
The man's body gradually began to fade, as though his very existence could no longer remain in that place.
He didn't scream or resist .
He simply kept smiling.
"We'll meet again, Ethan."
Then he disappeared.
At that exact moment, Ethan felt intense pressure inside his head.
He grabbed his head with both hands.
The sounds disappeared.
The room disappeared.
Everything turned black.
***
Ethan's eyes suddenly opened.
He sat upright on the chair, gasping for breath.
Sunlight was streaming through the window.
He looked around.
The room was normal.
The bed was in front of him.
There was no one in it.
He froze for a moment.
Then he stood up and quickly opened the door.
The hallway.
The same hallway.
Nothing strange.
He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
"Just a dream..."
But something inside him wasn't entirely convinced.
He turned around.
Suddenly, his foot bumped into something.
He looked down.
Lian was sitting on the floor, holding a breakfast tray and staring at him in confusion.
"Are you done standing in front of the door like you've seen a ghost?"
Ethan stared at her.
Then he looked at the tray.
"Where were you?"
Lian raised an eyebrow.
"I went to get breakfast."
Ethan remained silent.
Then he said:
"You... didn't leave?"
"Of course not."
She looked even more confused.
"Where would I even go?"
He didn't answer.
He continued staring at her for a few moments.
Then he took a long breath.
"Nothing."
Lian narrowed her eyes.
"You're acting strange since you woke up."
Ethan looked back into the room.
Everything was normal.
And yet, the words of that person remained stuck in his head:
"I'll be waiting for you when your journey ends."
Ethan didn't know who he was.
But he was certain of one thing.
That wasn't an ordinary dream.