Disturbing Content Warning.

Hot!

No it’s cold!

My head feels like its floating! I can’t move!

Ray Villan flicked his eyes open and a vast horizon of darkness was all that welcomed him. From a famous phrase he once read, it was definitely like the abyss itself, an existence far above him, gazed upon him, holding him with the tightest of hugs he ever felt.

He could feel his body was “here” but a backlog of bodily instincts suggest it was not.

Such a bizarre situation and he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t even remember what he did last night.

Where am I?

Ray tried to move his arms, his fingertips, his legs, yet an unknown force hindered every action he attempted as though his skin was superglued unto a flat surface.

His vision blurred and his heart raced like an engine, the 22 year-old university student tried to jog his memory. Why did this happen? His thoughts twirled in confusion. He thought about a nightmare but his clear consciousness says otherwise.

In his upheaval, scratching sounds suddenly lit the air. Sounds of chains being dragged across a wooden floor echoed. Now that was scary, can someone here me? But no voice escaped from his lungs.

Was he kidnapped? Ray thought so hard couldn’t stop the beating of his heart. Did someone had a grudge and decided to give him a cruel revenge? If he had the chance, he will surely punch the one responsible.

Possible scenarios formed in his head. With his circumstances it was impossible for someone to hurt him.

First, Ray was not that rich, he grew up in an orphanage, so kidnap for ransom was impossible. Next, Ray minded his own business, so there was definitely no petty grudges, no friends means no enemy.

And finally he avoided any social interaction, away from any serious relationships, so no death by passionate love.

Even if he was targeted for organ trafficking because of his background, it wouldn’t be possible because due to strict law and enforcement, his city was dubbed as the safest of the whole world.

I have the perfect introvert life and I have planned out everything down to how I will die. So what the hell?

Sweat from his back seemed to be damping his clothes, drip drop wet splash, where the hell is this place, he repeated always in his mind.

The situation grows worse by the second. He didn’t want any part of this.

With nothing else to do, Ray held his breath and “stood still”, waiting, as the clacking of metals slowly receded. Then after a few moments a loud shriek echoed; male and female voices alike in a falsetto, ravaging his eardrums.

My heads trembling! Fuck! He “stood” tensed and “imaginatively” held his ears.

Tiny pricks attacked his torso, a cold sensation akin to slimy liquid creeping on his toes; it felt like a group of worms and slugs wiggling, racing for the top of his head.

With no way of resisting other than his unperturbed perseverance, Ray steeled himself, resisting the utter disgust rising on his stomach.

What choice does he have in this hopeless dilemma? Was this the afterlife? Hell? Heaven? Limbo? He couldn’t think straight anymore.

Suddenly at his behest, multiple blobs of information crammed into his mind: Visions, Numbers, Fire, Love, Destruction.

They all intertwined and sucker-punched his mind and soul. It dulled his thoughts, mudded it, washed it, and seemingly enough incited Ray to accept this situation, filling him thoughts of giving up on his life, but after a few moments, he had a eureka. A stroke of enlightenment struck his brain… Ray remembered!

Ugh! I shouldn’t have drank coffee day and night in the past 2 weeks. He imagined a sigh, regretting that playing the new eroge game [ Imouto Love2x Extra Hot DLC Black Edition ] while also studying for his final college exams would make him like… this.

How stupid of me.

He imaginatively facepalmed himself.

The result was he overdosed on coffee.

And collapsed in front of his laptop.

He learned a valuable lesson. Never mix porn and studies, they definitely mess with your sense of time.

It might be scary, but I can still feel my body and also I can breathe, it’s just that…I can’t really move right now.

But wait! This seems familiar.

Hmmm…Can’t move but think. Check!

Total darkness and bizarre sensations. Check!

And the cause should be the result of fatigue. Check!

All of these factors should point to... Sleep paralysis?

.....

Yes! Sleep paralysis!

An unlikely optimism surged through Ray Villan in this unlikely situation. If he still had the ability to move around, he would be jumping up and down, while shouting “Konnichiwa! Motherfuckers!” on his snarky professors.

LUCID DREAMS! If I’m in sleep paralysis I can fucking LUCID DREAM!

Lucid dream. Believed to be a rare ability in the modern era. According to Ray’s understanding, it was told by the hermit-people of the internet- that attaining this skill can make a man attain the ability to fabricate his own pseudo-dream world with just the power of imagination.

It was not dreaming while you’re sleeping but living while you sleep. 

Interested by this, he searched for additional information from the boundless minds of Beddit, he realized that knowledge and otherworldly experience can be attained in a fast rate through this dream workd. A double life he supposed, one in the day and one in the night.

So with Lucid Dreaming, Ray can practice martial arts without straining the body, hone his knowledge and be a master overnight… truly a terrifying ability.

The thought of Lucid dreaming jumpstarted his emotions. Pushing through this despair filled world, Ray calmed down. He “clenched” his fists into a ball and gathered an imaginary immaterial strength.

The eyes that was once open, now slowly turned into a line.

A speck of fire flashed on his consciousness. Concentrate Ray Villan. This is a one in a million chance.  The air was getting warmer, the heat caressing every part of his body. Ray scrunched a serious face and drove the gears of his brain:

With all his strength Come on!

With all his heart You were born for this damn it!

Ray imaginatively breathed out, exhausting all of his mental strength. It was then, he saw myriads of colors waving and painting the darkness white. Ethereal strings of coils splashed the nothingness with bright and pristine details. Chairs for two, a table of standard size, and a set of utensils were rendered-- clacking to form a standard dining room.

The world that he so wished- slowly manifested in the abyss.

He took a deep breath, pulling the strength from within.

Ray imaginatively put his hand at his chest and imaginatively breathed a big lump of air. He could sense it. This was the power of the Lucid Dream.

Tendrils of colored mist rose in front of him again. It waved and waved and waved until the remaining darkness was slowly replaced by colors.  

His vision blurred once again.

Ray smirked. Expectations were on an all-time high. The mist oozing on his very sight would be the best part of his dream world. Legs shaking and arms clenched, he nervously waited for the outcome.

[Episode 10: XXXX Me Onii-chan! Chocola-tan hot steamy kitchen scene.]

Yes! I can finally experience it in person. Ray imaginatively wiped the drool dripping from his mouth.

 

Chocola-tan gushed from a tongue of smoke, a few feet away from Ray. Her arms were leveled in a 180 degree angle. The girl’s eyes gleamed in pink as she regained the lights of her irises. Pink hair swayed at every glance she took. Left. Right. Up. Down. She analyzed each and every corner of the dining room. For a moment, Ray saw a big question mark on top of her head... but that is not what’s important right now.

Ray’s heart strung at her every movement. The oxygen and carbon dioxide he’d used this moment would fill a hot-air balloon by now. She was so “fucking kawaii.” The hair, the face, the clothes; everything was perfect.

He couldn’t contain himself and wanted to throw himself at her. He felt like a diehard otaku fan meeting their idol for the first time. He paused for a moment trying to slow down his breathing. Ray regretted not doing the “Lucid Dream” earlier in his childhood. This was definitely one of life’s greatest gifts.

A kind personality and a smile that pulls anyone in--- Chocola-tan was the heroine of the eroge game [ Imouto Love2x ] that Ray loved so much; She was one of the five main heroines. Equipped with a “moe” that makes the player bang their heads, she alone captured the hearts of every player and the sole reason of the game’s popularity.

Ray clasped both of his hands, though not religious thanked every God or Deity he could think of. This was the unspoken wish of every Imouto Love2x fans or every otaku for that matter. He knew very well how sad this sounds but Ray was ecstatic for this stupid achievement.

I can brag about this later to 21legallolimancerxvb and tHeMiLFman96.

The scent of sweet rose drifted into the air.

Ray closed his eyes… Flashbacks of his memory ran inside him like the flash of a camera film, Thank you Mom and Dad. I don’t know what you two look like but you have given birth to a wonderful son. This stupid idiot is finally stepping into the world of adults.

Retracting his state of mind, Ray felt the world’s pain and sadness go away, like a monk in his peak of enlightenment.

He is ready.

“Come here Cho-“

THUD

Chocola closed the distance with a large stride, both of their sights aligned. Ray grunted in surprise Whoa! Let’s take it slowly babe.

But what he did not expect was a human face. A real. Genuine. Human face. She also had this sadness on her eyes.

This revelation shocked him. It was 3d not 2d.

All the more better he guessed.

But why is she crying?

Strange. His hand drifted towards her cheek. The beauty of the pink-haired 19 year old seduced him greatly, and caused him to have a butterfly like feeling in his stomach. So this is love… but she looks upset.

Before Ray could touch her, she backed away fromhim, crying with every step she took.

Don’t go away Chocola-tan Ray felt concern. So he strode forward, intending to hold her again… until he saw what seemed to be...

A serrated blade covered in dark red liquid, dripping on its sawed edge. It looked like a bread knife he wondered uncaringly, much like the knives in the cooking shows he once saw on TV…

And she held it in her right hand...

Quite scary. He imagined- a cute girl known for her sweet personality was actually holding a knife drizzling with gooey red. Ray never really liked seeing blood, especially when it’s his.

If she lunged at me and then retreated afterwards, then...

Targeting his line of sight on the floor. Ray gasped! He saw a trail of red. Strange. The blood formed a wavy string between Chocola and him. His faced turned blue, pondering of the conclusion he thought of.

 

He glanced slowly at a conveniently placed mirror on his left, there was his face. It was pale white.

Fear lodged into his heart.

He knew he was not that pale, he originally had a light tannish skin, black hair, black eyes and a constant bag under his eyelids, and as he slowly glanced downward.

The unthinkable happened.

“What the fucking hell?!” Ray yelped, trudging back away from the girl.

He turned his head in disbelief, reaching out to press the place he was most afraid of. It was red, dark red and underneath the mangled cloth was a slight flowing warmth that wouldn’t stop gushing.

Ray retreated, confused by the event before him. “You crazy bitch! Why’d you stab me?” He tried to apply pressure on the vomiting cloth, but as he was about fall back on his third step...

Thump!

His back hit a wall. Every part of his body screamed of danger.

And then the pain hit.

What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.

This situation was absurd. Ray gazed at the girl as she wiped the blood oozing from the blade. She was smiling while crying.

She was smiling while crying! Yandere! He still had the urge to say “kawaii” but the stinging pain washed Ray’s blissful emotion.

Pain. He hated this word. With different kinds of experiences; be it emotional or physical.

It hurts it really hurts. Fuck! This was supposed to be a dream. Everything… feels too real. Even the blood tastes exactly like blood!  

“It’s your fault Onii-chan. Loving you was my only purpose at life. But... I don’t want other girls having you” Chocola muttered. She closed her bright pink eyes, wiping the tears that fell on the bloodied handle of her knife.

What the hell was she saying. We only just met! And isn’t this just a dream!?

As Ray was in his denial, she readied her blade, its metal rid of his blood. After a few seconds, her eyes were now open, no more sadness to be seen… only determination. “Onii-chan please die!”

The girl in pink lunged straight. Both her hands above her head.

At this point, Ray searched for an escape route.

He could grab the table on his right.  Use it as weapon plus shield to buy some extra time. Or he could even force himself outside the window... but hesitation lingered in his mind, and he just stood there, still thinking on numerous options he could take.

Injured, trapped and confused. Ray’s stomach twitched and it woke him from his daze, he realized he was going to die by the hands of an anime character. The same character who he spent the most nights on his laptop.

No. There’s no escape.

Idiot! There’s no more time, she’s gonna kill me! In this split second, Ray in a stupor, crossed his arms and dashed towards Chocola. Time seemed to slow. There was no thinking behind his kata, he just let the instinct of his body drive his decisions-—remembering instantly the self-defense technique he once learned from an old Asian neighbor. He hoped this worked and possibly stop her.

Dash and aim for the arms if the attack is an overhead-stab. Afterwards throw your full body weight and slam her to the ground!

Ray aimed for Chocola’s overhead arm. His eyes were wide, glued to every movement of Chocola and after he found the exact moment, when she was sure of the stab, Ray bolted faster as though it was his last, propelling his legs with all of his energy.

The sound of flesh against flesh yielded the screams of both parties. Chocola yelped, and with that, she was pinned down.

All this happened in under three seconds. Maybe less. She laid there unconscious, her stomach between his legs. Ray was surprised at the sudden burst of speed. Maybe he can still survive or MAYBE this was only just a dream and he just had a bad case of diarrhea. And according to an article he once read, stomachaches can induce nightmares.

The tackling maneuver put may have put a stop to the murderous Chocola. But he needed to know how to escape from here.

“First I’ll tie her up. Then...” He looked at his stomach.

No. He just needed to take an ambulance or possibly wake up. Ray was overjoyed of the fact... until a splurt of blood gushed into his vision. “I’m sorry Onii-chan.”

“Shit! Shit! My arm!”

Ray screamed. He couldn’t believe what was happening. She was still awake. The blade sticking out from his forearm was unreal; it looked like an oyster bleeding from its center with bits of flesh peering out on the sides of the knife.

He saw every detail, every drop of blood dripping from the gaping wound. His hand wandered to the hilt but he remembered that removing it will make the bleeding worse. It was revolting. Why did this girl stab him? Why won’t he wake up from this dream? Why does it feel so... real?

His arm skewered and high from all the adrenaline pumping in his blood enraged him. Ray roared with all of his might. He clenched his fist, exerted so much strength that blood oozed from his palms. Gone was the creepy and introvert Ray. His face contorted; delirious from the shock and trauma he received, and as a result, he repeatedly pounded her face, GET OFF!

Lost in the bloodlust; he continued to splatter Chocola’s head with fresh blood gushing from the gnashes of his knuckles. Smack. Smack. Blood flew for every punch he threw.

After what seemed to be his tenth punch, tears and blood ran down his cheeks. There was no more benefit in continuing this beating. The amount of blood he bled must be about half of his body’s capacity.

Losing his strength, he sluggishly placed both of his palms on the floor, puked blood, blood gushing on one arm and another on his stomach. Ray still hoped that all of this was just a dream. That the sizzling torment he felt below was just diarrhea. That the knife sticking out from his arm was just an insect bite. Even though he mangled the beautiful face he admired, Ray didn’t care— he just wanted all of this to end. 

His chest slowly kissed the floor as his body couldn’t bear his weight anymore. He lied beside the weaving Chocola, his head facing her. A smirk crept on her insanely beautiful and cute face. She sluggishly moved her left arm and caressed Ray’s right cheek… “Onii-chan I love you. We will be together forever and ever.”

I don’t know what’s going on anymore.  His eyes crept up, whites appearing on his eyeballs and then a part of his vision darkened.

A skull for a head and a dark bony wall as a body. Is that a Reaper?

 

 

Viscous frostbite-like feeling slithered upwards from Ray’s feet— wrapping his body in a swirl.

It’s that headache again. And in the midst of this, a sizzle was heard— burning the blood that splattered on the back of his right hand.

Charred black, the cooked blood slowly moved to form a circle. Thorn like shapes protruded on its outer and inner side. And at the same time, in the very center of it, a blinding whirlpool of light surged, siphoning the colors of the room and left only darkness.